ii; 

1  .  :  H:J 


HENRY  DICKINSON  SMITH 

A  BIOGRAPHY  AND  MEMO* 


;•!"..   HENRY  D.  PORTE: 


:- 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


„ 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 


HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH 


Henry  Dickinson  Smith 


A  BIOGRAPHY  AND  MEMORIAL 


BY 


Henry  D.  Porter 


NEW  YORK  CHICAGO  TORONTO 

Fleming    H.    Revell    Company 

LONDON  AND  EDINBURGH 


Copyright,  1908,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  80  Wabash  Avenue 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  St.,  W. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburg:  100  Princes  Street 


This   volume 
is  dedicated  to   the  class  of  1909, 

Beloit  College, 

which  will  hold  in  lasting  memory, 
the  ardor  in  high  service, 
the  inspiring  and  eager  example, 

of  him 
Whom  it  commemorates 


FOREWORD 

Why  callest  Thou  the  stainless  knight, 

With  sword  scarce  proved  against  the  foe, 

Why  leavest  us,  with  many  a  fight, 

Wearied  and  scarred,  and  fain  to  go? 

Yet  this  we  dimly  understand, 

That  Life  Eternal  is  our  own, 
And  that  the  unseen   Other   Land 

Is  ours,  and  not  this  Land  alone. 

Once  Thou  didst  lose  Thy  Son  awhile, 
On  a  strange  errand,  full  of  pain, 

Yet  with  a  Father's  welcoming  smile 
Didst  proudly  take  Him  home  again. 

So  now  we  say;  If  life  be  one 
And  Thou  of  Life  the  Ruler  be, 

Dear  God,  Who  gavest  us  Thy  Son, 
Behold  we  give  our  sons  to  Thee. 

From  "  The  Parting  Guest/' 

ROSSITER  W.  RAYMOND. 


"  And  Jesus  looking  on  him,  loved  him." — R.  V. 

The  nobility  of  youthful  ardor  rightly  directed  arouses 
deep  emotions  of  love  and  expectation.  Often  the  signal 
souls  are  those  whose  career  is  shortened.  They  still  point 
us  to  expanding  powers  in  realms  beyond  our  vision,  but 
not  beyond  our  hope.  The  preparation  of  this  memorial, 
committed  to  me  by  Henry's  parents,  has  been  one  of 
increasing  interest.  The  attractive  series  of  letters,  so 
personal  and  self-revealing,  were  collated  by  his  mother. 
Other  sources  have  been  freely  drawn  from,  especially 
the  Beloit  College  Round  Table  and  the  Codex  of  the 
classes  1907  and  1909- 

The  verses — Foreword  and  Postscript — are  here  pre- 
sented through  the  kind  permission  of  their  authors.  To 
each  of  the  many  hundred  who  have  expressed  their  sym- 
pathy through  beautifully  worded  and  comforting  letters 
and  their  high  estimates  of  Henry's  inspiring,  though 
brief  influence,  an  additional  word  of  thanks  is  given. 
"  The  sympathies  of  sorrow  are  timeless  and  spaceless." 

HENRY  D.   PORTER. 


HENRY  DICKINSON  SMITH 

BORN 
JANUARY  22,  1881,  AT  TIENTSIN,  CHINA 

DIED 
AUGUST  8,  1906,  AT  GENEVA  LAKE,  WIS. 


HENRY  DICKINSON  SMITH 

A  KNIGHTLY  soul!  A  knightly  son!  In 
-**  such  felicitous  phrases  President  Eaton 
summed  up  for  us  the  brief  but  distinguished 
career  of  Henry  Dickinson  Smith.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  look  backward  to  King  Arthur's 
time  to  see  the  true  knight  in  his  panoply.  Nor 
need  we  turn  to  the  days  of  historic  chivalry  to 
be  reminded  of  noble  youth  in  quest  of  high 
service.  It  is  not  the  champing  steed  in  his  array, 
nor  the  steel-clad  rider  with  visor  down  and 
lance  at  guard,  that  makes  the  loyal  knight. 
Then,  as  now,  it  was  the  true  and  faithful  spirit, 
the  pure  and  consecrated  life,  that  made  one 
worthy  to  receive  the  touch  of  a  king  granting 
nobility  and  knighthood.  Now,  as  then,  youth 
is  made  beautiful  through  the  soul  within. 
Strength  and  beauty  are  the  forces  of  manliness, 
equipped  through  service  and  discipline  to  the 
right  estimate  of  duty.  Whoever  finds  through 
work  and  service  the  joy  of  effort,  has  a  claim  to 
honor,  and  is  fitly  called  a  knightly  soul. 


14      HENRY  DICKINSON    SMITH 

Hazards  are  for  him  but  the  opportunity  for  ser- 
vice.   Death  in  victory  may  be  the  reward. 

The  sad  event  which  brought  a  sudden  privi- 
lege and  a  speedy  end  to  this  knightly  student 
makes  it  fitting  that  a  more  extended  record 
should  be  preserved  of  his  young  and  ardent 
manhood.  For  it  was  in  the  moment  of  eager 
self-forgetfulness,  as  ever  impulsive  in  effort, 
that  this  strong  and  true  life  was  laid  down. 

New  impulse  has  been  given  in  recent  years 
to  the  study  of  life*  adding  interest  to  the 
quondam  introspective  study  of  man.  With 
great  minuteness  and  patience  of  detail  the  deli- 
cate and  intricate  interrelations  of  human  attrib- 
utes have  been  watched  and  the  studies  tabulated. 
The  way  was  at  once  opened  for  a  clearer  study 
of  the  child  life.  The  marvelous  years  of  in- 
fancy, so  swift  in  development,  so  far-reaching 
in  result,  have  become  a  real  source  of  valuable 
study.  The  child  has  been  found  to  be  the 
father  of  the  man.  Personality  and  individual- 
ity find  in  that  child  life  their  unique  origins. 
What  is  the  gift  through  heredity,  what  the 
increment  of  growth  through  environment, 
find  here  large  solution.  We  trace  in  the  physi- 
cal form  and  feature  of  the  child  the  long-ob- 
served aspects  and  attitudes  of  the  parents.  We 


HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH     15 

follow  in  like  manner  the  mental  unfolding,  or 
the  moral  discipline,  of  parent  or  of  earlier  an- 
cestor. Of  heredity,  the  scientific  thinking  is  led 
to  affirm,  "  Heredity  is  the  sum  of  environment." 
But  such  heredity  waits  to  find  new  and  other 
environment  to  mold  in  its  measure  the  new  and 
idiosyncratic  life.  It  is  not  without  full  signifi- 
cance that  our  Christian  thought  is  glad  to  say: 
"  Each  life  is  a  plan  of  God."  No  childish  or 
youthful  life  can  pass  close  scrutiny  without  the 
growth  of  assurance  that  resident,  yet  obscure, 
forces  have  full  share  in  the  building  of  character. 
Because  of  this,  the  modern  parent  learns  to 
prize  at  high  value  the  privilege  and  responsibil- 
ity of  guiding  without  undue  pressure  the  un- 
folding life. 

The  children  of  foreign  missionaries  have  an 
environment  of  their  own,  in  a  certain  measure 
isolated,  and  valuable  as  a  study  on  that  account. 
The  childish  and  youthful  life  of  such  an  one,  if 
this  study  may  be  permitted  to  linger  a  little, 
will  find  its  own  interest. 

A    MISSIONARY    BOYHOOD 

Henry  Dickinson  Smith,  the  only  son  of  Rev. 
Arthur  Henderson  Smith  and  Mrs.  Emma  Dick- 
inson Smith,  was  born  in  Tientsin,  China,  Jan- 
uary 22,  1881.  Two  sisters  had  preceded  Henry. 


16     HENRY  DICKINSON   SMITH 

One  sweet  babe  was  laid  away  in  the  quiet  church 
yard  at  Tientsin. 

"  Pure,  sweet  and  fair 
Ere  thou  couldst  taste  of  ill, 
God  willed  it,  and  thy  baby  breath  was  still ; 
Now  'mong  His  Lambs  thou  liv'st,  thy  Saviour's  care 
Forever  as  thou  wert,  pure,  sweet  and  fair." 

Marie  Jessica,  the  second  sister,  lived  to  beauti- 
ful young  womanhood.  The  four  years  that 
separated  the  ages  of  brother  and  sister  made  the 
elder  sisterly  relation  very  sweet  and  strong  as 
the  years  passed  on.  A  part  of  the  new  environ- 
ment was  that  chivalry  of  the  home  life,  which 
meant  so  much  for  the  future.  The  missionary 
home  itself  was  full  of  merriment  and  song. 
With  a  devoted  mother,  so  happy-hearted, 
and  a  father  who,  though  wise  and  strong, 
made  life  glad  for  others,  with  quip  and 
merry  turns  of  thought  and  speech,  and  often 
with  amusing  tirades  at  the  conventions  of  life, 
it  was  quite  fitting  that  the  child  should  always 
show  a  happy  face,  or  learn  to  endure  criticism 
with  a  brave,  struggling  impulse.  The  winning 
smiles  of  babyhood  foretell  the  sympathies  of 
later  life.  It  was  this  which  led  to  the  dear 
"  milk  name,"  as  the  Chinese  name  it.  "  Honey 
Bee,"  drawing  sweetness  from  every  flower  of 
happy  intercourse,  was  the  name  which  long  clung 


HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH     17 

to  the  sparkling  eyes  and  curly  locks  of  the  happy 
child. 

He  was  as  determined  in  a  way  as  he  was  win- 
ning in  smiles.  A  day  came  when  he  refused 
to  drink  from  the  accustomed  bottle.  The  Chi- 
nese amah  solved  the  dilemma:  "  He  is  disgusted 
with  the  bottle  and  wants  a  cup."  Thus  he 
graduated  with  honor  from  "mere  babyhood." 
One  language  would  seem  to  be  enough  to 
occupy  the  powers  of  even  a  strong  and  vig- 
orous child.  In  foreign  lands  one  notices  the 
marvel  of  a  bilingual  process.  The  theory  that 
one  can  learn  only  his  own  appropriate  native 
speech  is  daily  disproved  by  abundant  facts. 
Especially  is  this  true  when  the  second  lan- 
guage is  thought  to  be  essentially  difficult. 
The  missionary  child,  cared  for  and  followed 
closely  by  a  native  woman,  learns  to  absorb 
the  double  speech  with  equal  ease.  He  turns 
from  one  to  the  other  apparently  uncon- 
sciously, using  each  with  a  freedom  that  may 
well  astonish  those  who  learn  in  a  less  natural 
way.  The  childish  vocabulary  may  not  be  very 
large,  but  is  in  this  case  made  double  and 
thereby  an  added  marvel.  In  Henry's  case  this 
aptitude  was  no  doubt  increased  by  the  abundant 
flow  of  speech  of  his  father.  It  was  a  family 
amusement  to  recall  that  the  elder  sister  at  about 
four  years  of  age  had  expressed  her  pleasure 


18      HENRY  DICKINSON   SMITH 

when  her  father  was  away  in  the  country  touring, 
"  Because  then  I  have  a  chance  to  say  some- 
thing." Henry  enjoyed  such  speech  before  he 
could  talk  plainly,  and  doted  on  being  governed 
by  "  jawbreakers."  His  mother  records  that  a 
perverse  habit  of  refusing  to  go  to  sleep  at  the 
right  time  was  broken  up  by  a  long  and  irrelevant 
speech  from  his  father.  There  floats  up  from 
the  early  reminiscences  the  time  when  the  pres- 
ence of  guests  made  an  early  sleep  most  de- 
sirable. Why  should  papa  not  try  his  entice- 
ments ?  There  rolled  into  his  little  ear  the  solemn 
combinations:  "Henry,  do  you  know  that  ow- 
ing to  the  revolution  of  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars 
on  their  axes  and  owing  to  the  precession  of  the 
equinoxes  every  form  of  unnecessary  bedcloth- 
ing  is  contradicted?  Do  you  know?  Do  you 
understand?"  ''Stand,"  said  the  two-year-old, 
with  a  sigh  of  perfect  content,  as  he  took  the 
closely  gathered  bedclothes  from  his  head  and 
went  to  sleep. 

He  learned  to  read  in  the  new  way  by  words 
and  not  by  letter.  It  is  on  record  that  the  family 
poet  prepared  two  envelopes.  One  was  marked, 

"  All  of  these 
Are  Honey  Bee's." 

When  he  forgot,  it  went  mournfully  into  the 
envelope  number  two; 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     19 

"  All  the  others, 
Are  Honey  Bee's   Mother's. 

Energy  easily  develops  in  a  growing  child,  and 
great  hopes  arise.  When  he  first  saw  the  moon 
he  said:  "  When  I'm  a  big  boy,  I'll  dig  it  down 
with  a  stick." 

The  baby  days  swiftly  pass  into  childhood. 
The  first  furlough  of  his  parents  took  them  to 
America  and  into  the  swirl  of  missionary  visits 
and  talks.  In  some  of  these  visits  and  talks  the 
children  joined.  It  was  an  ordeal,  no  doubt, 
for  them,  and  required  a  little  bribing.  A  large 
motive  was  offered  one  time  when  singing  a 
hymn  in  Chinese  was  on  the  programme.  "  If 
you  don't  sing,  I  can't  give  you  the  red  balloon 
bladder."  So  he  went  through  "Bright  gems 
for  his  crown."  But  the  last  verse  had  a  varied 
ending.  The  lad  seized  the  hard-earned  bladder 
and  blew  a  blast.  No  wonder  the  audience 
laughed.  This  visiting  brought  them  at  last  to 
Wellesley  and  its  lovely  group  of  teachers  and 
scholars,  six  hundred  and  more.  The  artless 
action  of  an  eager  child,  curly-haired  and  bright- 
eyed,  made  a  deep  impression.  One  day,  the 
morning  service  over,  "Perpetual  Motion,"  as 
his  mother  called  him,  felt  the  reaction  that  comes 
to  a  rapt  audience  when  the  listening  is  done. 
He  had  been  a  good  boy  through  the  long  ser- 


20      HENRY  DICKINSON    SMITH 

vice.  His  conscience  was  clear.  An  idea  struck 
him.  Swift  as  an  arrow  the  child  darted  up  the 
aisle  and  flung  himself  into  the  arms  of  Miss 
Freeman,  the  President,  with  both  arms  about 
her  neck.  No  matter  that  it  was  Sunday,  no 
matter  if  a  beautiful  Voluntary  was  going  on. 
She  just  looked  at  him  and  smiled  like  a  seraph. 
She  understood  and  "  loved  back."  This  re- 
minded his  friends  of  a  scene  on  the  Road  "  Vic- 
toria," Tientsin.  A  little  maid  about  his  age 
appeared  on  the  street  daintily  dressed.  The  lad 
from  the  country,  unaccustomed  to  other  than 
Chinese  sights,  ran  up  to  the  little  maiden  and 
kissed  her  with  a  vigorous  hug.  "  I  just  kissed 
that  little  girl,"  was  his  simple  comment.  One 
of  the  Wellesley  Professors  who  never  saw  him 
after  he  was  four  years  old  noticed  one  trait  of 
his  character.  "  Henry  was  the  soul  of  honor, 
unimpeachable."  There  wras  a  touch  of  endur- 
ance and  bravery  in  the  child.  His  father  ex- 
plained to  him  that  his  tonsils  were  swollen  and 
must  be  taken  out;  if  he  would  be  brave  and  sit 
on  papa's  knees  without  making  a  fuss  he  might 
choose  anything  he  liked  for  a  gift.  The  child 
came  home  in  triumph,  with  a  gay  red  checker 
board. 

One  winter  of  the  furlough  was  spent  at 
Pasadena.  A  pretty  reminder  of  that  open- 
air  winter  is  found  in  a  neat  little  water-color  of 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     21 

Marie  Smith  and  Henry  standing  under  the 
gracefully  lovely  pepper  trees  of  California. 
The  kind  lady  who  painted  this  will  be  fully  re- 
membered. A  second  winter  was  spent  in  Hono- 
lulu, with  grandmother  Dickinson  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Merritt,  then  of  Oahu  College.  "The 
Friend,"  published  in  Honolulu,  for  October, 
1906,  contains  the  following  in  a  Memorial 
paragraph:  "  In  the  early  months  of  1885,  dur- 
ing the  Presidency  of  W.  C.  Merritt,  Rev. 
Arthur  Smith,  missionary  to  China,  with  his 
wife,  Mrs.  Emma  Dickinson  Smith,  and  their 
two  lovely  children,  a  girl  and  a  boy,  made  a 
delightful  visit  at  Punahou.  Mrs  Merritt  and 
Mrs.  Arthur  Smith  were  sisters  most  tenderly 
loved,  and  the  visit  of  the  missionary  family  is 
still  remembered.  The  sweet  little  girl,  Marie, 
died  a  few  years  later  in  California.  She  was  a 
most  saintly  girl  whose  life  and  death  were  widely 
known  in  Oakland,  where  the  parents  were  on  a 
missionary  furlough.  The  ladies  of  the  Board 
remembered  the  young  man  as  a  curly-headed 
boy  who  was  called  "  Honey  Bee  Smith,"  and  as 
such  he  is  well  recalled  by  those  who  were  here 
twenty-one  years  ago. — M.  C.  A." 

The  return  from  Honolulu  to  China  was  by 
sailing  vessel  to  Hong-Kong,  a  long  six-weeks' 
sail,  monotonous,  no  doubt,  but  with  the  unfail- 
ing charm  of  the  sea,  which  neither  child  nor  man 


22      HENRY  DICKINSON    SMITH 

escapes.  The  hardships  and  crudities  of  such  a 
trip  are  a  part  of  its  remembered  joys.  Of  this 
voyage  the  mother  merrily  said:  "  The  soup  was 
cold,  the  wine  hot,  and  everything  else  was  sour 
except  the  vinegar.  The  excitement  of  the  trip 
centered  about  the  ugly  creature  which  followed 
the  ship  for  days  which  the  captain  tried  to 
catch.  He  swallowed  the  pork,  but  not  the  hook, 
and  got  away.  Finally  one  proud  day  the 
creature  came  once  too  often  and  was  hoisted  on 
deck.  It  was  not  the  '  Big  Captain,'  but  the 
little  captain  in  kilts  and  curls  who  boasted,  '  We 
caught  that  shark.' " 

Henry  was  but  six  years  old  when  he  returned 
to  the  quiet  compound  at  Pang  Chuang  to  join 
the  little  circle  of  children  in  the  happy  rounds 
of  their  isolated  life.  It  was  another  six  years 
before  the  family  were  compelled  to  take  another 
furlough.  Six  radiant  and  happy  years  with  two 
or  three  companions  older  and  younger,  a  group 
large  enough  to  make  life  strenuous  either  in 
play  or  study,  for  its  congenial  members.  At 
one  time  there  were  two  girls  and  eleven  boys 
with  whom  to  study  or  to  romp.  These  were 
years  of  rapidly  increasing  acquisition.  A  mis- 
sionary child  has  the  advantage  or  disadvantage 
of  being  much  with  his  elders,  of  training  under 
the  guidance  of  father  and  mother,  of  speech 
upon  many  of  the  larger  rather  than  the  lesser 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     23 

interests  of  life.  The  tasks  set  for  such  children 
must  be  very  methodical  and  persistent  lest  they 
lose  the  fresh  opportunity  given  to  children 
in  the  home  land.  A  seat  in  the  father's  study 
with  appointed  hours  of  study,  recitations  at 
suitable  times,  mark  the  daily  course  for  years. 
We  need  not  follow  all  that  quiet,  exacting  dis- 
cipline except  to  note  its  progress  and  value. 
Going  to  Mission  Meeting  every  second  year 
with  its  long  picnics  of  slow  river-travel  and  the 
excitement  of  meeting  the  large  companies  of 
mission  workers  and  the  bands  of  children,  add 
zest  to  the  outing  and  store  up  treasure  for  long 
months  of  isolation.  On  one  of  these  trips  the 
growth  of  the  appreciative  boy  was  noticed  by 
a  lady  friend  at  Tientsin.  She  had  taken  him 
to  ride.  An  auction  bill  was  thrown  into  the 
jinrikisha.  The  lad  picked  it  up  and  read  fluently 
and  with  a  sense  of  the  fun  concealed  in  it,  "  On 
Thursday,  these  goods  will  be  ruthlessly  slaugh- 
tered/' These  are  the  days  when  a  boy's  love 
goes  out  to  all  animal  life.  It  was  a  pretty  pic- 
ture which  the  eager  lad  showed,  returning  once 
from  a  northern  trip;  a  cat  in  a  bag,  head  ex- 
posed, a  bird  in  a  cage  fit  to  hold  it  properly,  and 
a  small  dog  to  be  educated  and  duly  disciplined. 
These  called  forth  the  best  traits  of  character 
through  the  interest  and  care  involved.  When 
a  bleating  goat  was  added,  how  complete  the 


24      HENRY  DICKINSON   SMITH 

joys  of  life!  Alas,  that  goat!  Tied  by  a  rope 
too  long  to  the  knob  of  an  outside  door,  near 
one's  bedroom,  of  course,  what  should  the  poor 
thing  do,  but  hang  itself  in  the  night !  The  little 
dog  was  the  surest  companion  and  comfort.  As 
it  grew  old  and  had  a  most  unfortunate  cough 
and  asthma,  affection  alone  could  desire  to  keep 
it  alive  to  its  last  days.  And  such  affection  was 
loyally  given. 

A  boy  loves  to  imitate  his  father.  So  Henry 
carried  with  him  in  his  pocket  a  small  book  from 
which  to  read  aloud  when  occasion  required,  the 
other  lads  assisting  with  merry  shouts  when  a 
good  thing  was  on.  Among  the  treasures  of  this 
period  was  a  small  booklet  containing  all  the  fine 
conundrums,  dear  old  chestnuts  of  the  father's, 
known  to  the  present  age.  A  mine  of  delight  to 
Henry,  and  faithfully  pondered,  nest  eggs  for 
future  fun.  If  an  occasional  proverb  was 
swiftly  hurled  it  was  but  following  the  ways  of 
the  Author  of  "  The  Proverbs  and  Common  say- 
ings of  China." 

As  the  children  grew  older  it  became  necessary 
to  lay  plans  of  study  out  of  the  ordinary  course, 
which  might  embrace  as  well  the  older  sister,  now 
on  the  verge  of  girlhood.  The  subject  of  politi- 
cal economy  was  one  of  those  chosen.  During 
several  months  the  sister  and  two  boys,  eleven 
years  old,  listened  for  an  hour  each  morning  to 


HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH     25 

a  most  inviting  and  practical  talk  on  the  varied 
themes  of  Production,  Distribution,  Wages,  and 
Trade,  fully  illustrated  from  abundant  material 
at  home  and  abroad.  About  the  same  time 
another  half  hour  was  given  in  the  afternoon  to 
physiology.  The  local  physician  was  supposed 
to  know  something  about  that.  The  little  class 
was  enlarged  by  having  two  younger  lads,  to 
whom  the  comparative  anatomy  of  birds  and  cats 
and  dogs  was  equally  interesting.  The  older 
boys,  already  well  along  in  Latin,  enjoyed  strong 
meat  in  the  names  of  bones  and  muscles.  They 
vied  with  each  other  in  the  effort  to  remember 
these  and  to  rattle  off,  as  Dr.  Wendell  Holmes 
did  in  his  classroom,  the  happy  combination  of 
the  "  auriculo-ventricular  orifice."  When  the 
Christmas  of  that  year  came,  it  was  the  teacher 
who  got  the  diploma  instead  of  the  pupil.  Henry 
had  gotten  the  skillful  Chinese  writer  to  copy  on 
a  piece  of  delicate  white  silk,  the  frontispiece  of 
his  book, — a  fine  specimen  of  the  human  skeleton. 
This  was  found  in  his  teacher's  stocking  on 
Christmas  morning. 

The  theory  of  the  relation  of  children  to  the 
church  has  undergone  an  entire  change  within 
the  last  half  century.  It  had  always  seemed  to 
these  missionary  parents  that  the  suitable  place 
for  Christian  children  was  within  the  fold  rather 
than  without.  Whatever  the  future  might  have 


26      HENRY  DICKINSON    SMITH 

to  change  through  growing  thought  or  larger  ex- 
perience, the  hope  was  that  a  genuine  Christian 
life  might  grow  even  from  early  childhood.  The 
sister,  Marie,  had  united  with  our  Chinese  church 
at  the  age  of  eleven.  Henry  wished  to  follow 
the  steps  of  this  dear  sister.  On  his  own  applica- 
tion and  eager  desire  he  was  received  into  the 
fellowship  of  the  Chinese  saints  and  of  the 
church  universal.  It  was  always  an  impressive 
sight  at  each  communion  service  to  see  often  half 
a  hundred  Chinese  making  devout  confession  of 
Christ.  No  little  pleasure  was  added  when  a  for- 
eign child  could  stand  with  them  in  the  midst  of 
the  great  congregation.  The  test,  of  course, 
must  come  when  the  environment,  somewhat  se- 
cluded, should  be  changed. 

The  spring  of  1893  found  Mr.  Smith's  health 
much  impaired,  as  well  as  that  of  the  dear  daugh- 
ter. On  returning  to  the  United  States,  the 
autumn  of  the  year  found  them  making  a  home 
in  Oakland,  Cal.  Henry  entered  at  once  upon  a 
high-school  course.  The  Oakland  High  School 
has  one  of  the  finest  and  best-equipped  buildings 
in  America,  and  its  course  is  of  a  high  order. 
The  lad  began  this  course  with  great  pleasure. 
The  long  illness  of  the  daughter,  followed  by  a 
season  of  partial  recovery,  was  full  of  discipline 
for  them  all.  Rev.  Arthur  Smith  returned  to  his 
work  in  China  in  the  spring  of  1895.  Madame 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     27 

Dickinson,  now  in  a  gentle  lovely  old  age,  was  a 
noble  and  chastening  influence  in  the  home  life. 
In  the  autumn  of  this  year,  Marie,  in  the  joy  of 
the  hope  that  she  might  begin  a  new  a  course  of 
study,  had  entered  the  high  school.  Her  clear 
and  penetrating  mind  and  gentle  sweetness  of 
Christian  life  gave  promise  of  much  usefulness. 
God  willed  it  otherwise.  In  a  few  weeks  her 
illness  returned  with  new  complications  and  she 
faded  into  the  eternal  life,  November  21,  1895. 
There  is  no  record  of  the  immediate  effect  of 
this  great  sorrow  upon  Henry.  The  loss  of  an 
older  and  only  sister,  so  dear,  so  gentle,  so  bril- 
liant also,  must  have  greatly  influenced  his  moral 
growth  and  life,  deepening  and  elevating  his 
thought,  enriching  his  experience.  Henry  had 
chosen  a  classical  course.  He  pursued  it  with 
unwonted  zeal  and  determined  effort.  He  was 
already  attracting  attention  through  his  quick 
intelligence  and  energetic  enthusiasms.  His 
schoolmates  could  find  no  better  name  for  such 
an  one  than  "Freak  Smith."  His  having 
come  from  China  added  uniqueness  to  this  em- 
phasis.* 

*Mrs.  Hinckley,  the  wife  of  the  Clerk  of  the  United  States 
Court  at  Shanghai,  was  from  Oakland  and  a  member  of  Henry 
Smith's  high  school  class.  In  speaking  to  a  friend  of  those 
days  she  remarked  that  Henry  Smith  was  to  her  a  most  in- 
teresting fellow  student.  She  could  never  keep  up  with  him  in 
their  mutual  studies. 


28      HENRY  DICKINSON   SMITH 

Vacation  days  often  show  the  measure  of  a 
lad.  Henry  always  found  some  "  job  "  to  take 
up.  He  secured  a  bicycle  and  ran  on  errands. 
His  mother  records  this.  Passing  a  house  a 
strange  lady  called  to  him.  She  was  alone  with 
a  sick  baby.  Would  he  please  go  to  the  drug 
store  and  buy  her  some  medicine?  "Mamma, 
she  just  chucked  her  whole  pocket  book  into  my 
hand.  I  made  change  all  right  and  brought  it 
back  at  once.  When  she  tried  to  pay  me  I 
wouldn't  take  it,  for  you  know  I  promised  God, 
if  He'd  give  me  a  bicycle,,  I'd  do  errands  for 
Him."  It  was  an  axiom  in  the  family  that  God 
was  a  very  present  help  and  ready  to  hear  the 
desires  of  each,  even  in  the  little  affairs  of  the 
daily  life.  We  are  again  told  of  his  finding  a 
place  in  a  cannery,  with  long  hot  days  of  work 
and  slow  advance  in  wages,  or  again  as  an  eleva- 
tor boy  with  the  daily  incidents  and  perils. 

At  length  the  high  school  course  was  com- 
pleted. His  successes  in  study  brought  him  to 
graduation  in  the  spring  of  1897,  ready  for  col- 
lege. During  the  waiting  months  Henry  decided 
to  go  into  business.  The  question  arose — should 
he  enter  the  University  of  California,  or  go  East 
to  Beloit  College,  the  early  home  of  his  mother, 
and  the  college  of  his  father  and  of  Henry 
Dickinson,  his  uncle.  The  associations  of  school 
companionship  and  the  vigor  of  California  life 


HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH     29 

would  persuade  him  to  remain.  The  wisdom  of 
his  father  urged  Beloit  as  a  quieter  and  more 
fruitful  place  of  study,  with  personal  associa- 
tions all  in  its  favor.  Meanwhile  he  went  to  work 
in  a  San  Francisco  store.  In  the  glad  eagerness 
of  earning  money  he  gave  himself  with  enthu- 
siasm to  the  new  life,  and  the  details  of  business. 
That  great  world  of  active  effort,  with  its 
hustling  energy*  was  opened  before  him  with 
awakening  emphasis.  He  decided  to  spend  a 
year  in  business.  A  cousin  of  his  mother  now 
offered  him  a  place  in  his  business,  greatly  in- 
creasing his  impulse  toward  a  business  life.  This 
was  well  suited  to  the  energies  of  a  growing 
youth.  The  steady  work  of  lifting,  carrying, 
and  arranging  goods  was  well  suited  to  his  needs. 
His  physical  powers  developed  rapidly  and  he 
grew  to  the  measure  of  a  tall,  large  man,  some- 
what above  the  average  height.  He  rejoiced  in 
the  new  found  energy.  But  the  question  still 
remained — should  he  give  up  study,  and  accept 
the  attractive  offers  of  promotion  and  respon- 
sibility? 

The  advice  of  his  father  was  finally,  wisely, 
however  reluctantly,  accepted.  His  mother  had 
returned  to  China  in  the  autumn  of  1897,  leaving 
him  thus  alone  to  decide  upon  his  future.  The 
traditions  of  the  family  finally  led  him  to  decide 
on  the  college  career.  In  the  autumn — Septem- 


30      HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

her — 1898,  he  went  to  Beloit  and  was  entered  a 
member  of  the  class  of  1902. 

COLLEGE    DAYS 

Henry  found  at  Beloit  a  circle  ready  to  re- 
ceive him  on  his  own  and  on  his  parents'  ac- 
count. His  Pang  Chuang  playmate  and  fellow 
student  had  returned  from  China  the  year  before 
and  was  thus  in  the  class  above  him.  These 
early  friends  were  able  to  be  very  helpful  to  each 
other,  Henry  receiving  with  pleased  deference 
the  suggestions  of  his  Sophomore  elder.  It  was 
one  of  the  traditions  of  the  college  that  Henry's 
first  year  in  college  lacked  the  finer  purpose  of 
his  after  years.  Business  life  and  its  more  care- 
less ways  needed  time  to  be  outgrown.  Every 
youth  must  pass  his  periods  of  testing  in  works 
and  ways.  The  siren  of  unbelief  undoubtedly 
sang  its  song,  doleful  as  it  may  be.  Happily 
other  influences  near  at  hand  prevented  any 
stunted  growth.  The  record  of  his  scholarship 
for  the  first  semester  does  not  bear  out  any  tradi- 
tion of  lack  of  purpose  in  study.  Out  of  six 
courses  taken,  four  are  recorded  with  an  "a," 
excellent  work,  and  two  with  a  "b,"  good 
work. 

In  the  autumn  of  1899  Mrs.  Henry  Porter, 
returning  from  China,  made  her  home  in  Beloit. 
Henry  became  a  member  of  her  family  and  re- 


HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH     31 

mained  two  years  in  the  home.  He  roomed  in 
Chapin  Hall  during  his  Senior  year.  The  en- 
thusiasm of  student  life  had  returned  to  him  and 
he  made  the  best  of  those  good  years.  His  in- 
terest in  debate  showed  itself  very  early.  His 
initial  entrance  upon  the  contests  in  which  he  was 
to  win  such  fine  repute  was  in  the  Beloit-Ripon 
debate  of  his  Freshmen  year.  Beloit  did  not 
win,  but  the  ardent  youth  had  learned  lessons 
full  of  meaning  for  his  student  life.  In  his 
Sophomore  year  he  received  an  appointment  as 
one  of  the  prize  speakers,  but  the  prize  went  to 
his  competitor. 

During  his  Sophomore  year  the  Beloit-Knox 
debate  was  open  to  the  three  upper  classes ;  since 
then  it  has  been  restricted  to  the  upper  two 
classes.  In  the  preliminaries  for  this  debate 
Henry,  although  a  Sophomore,  was  chosen 
among  the  elect  three  for  the  team.  It  was 
characteristic  of  his  unselfish  character  and  sensi- 
tive nature  that  he  declined  to  accept  this  favored 
election.  He  felt  that  the  upper  class  man  would 
really  strengthen  the  team  and  that  he  himself 
should  have  more  maturity.  He  therefore  gave 
way  to  the  older  student  and  had  his  reward  in 
very  full  appreciation  of  his  fine  power  of  leader- 
ship later.  The  debate  that  year  went  to  Knox, 
not  necessarily  because  he  was  not  upon  the 
team. 


32      HENRY  DICKINSON    SMITH 

The  long  summer  vacation  gave  Henry  oppor- 
tunity to  develop  his  taste  for  business  and  the 
pleasure  of  self-help  which  he  emulated. 

During  the  second  of  these  vacations,  in  the 
summer  of  1900,  the  terrible  reports  of  the 
Boxer  massacres  in  China  were  received.  Know- 
ing that  his  parents  were  incarcerated  in  the 
seige  of  Peking,  he  was  in  great  anxiety.  When 
the  graphic  account  of  the  wholesale  slaughter 
of  all  in  Peking  was  published,  he  left  his  sum- 
mer work  and  hastened  to  Beloit  entirely  cast 
down.  His  whole  course  of  life  would  be 
changed  and  overclouded.  Reassuring  telegrams 
from  Chef oo  ere  long  served  to  overcome  this 
despondency.  When  the  rescue  of  the  beseiged 
bcame  a  great  reality  we  may  well  imagine  his 
personal  joy.  "  If  the  Hand  of  the  Lord  had 
not  been  with  us,  we  should  have  been  swallowed 
up  quick — alive." 

The  problems  appealing  to  a  collegian  are 
much  the  same  in  all  our  institutions.  Shall  I 
be  an  athlete,  as  I  long  to  be,  or  give  scholarship 
the  first  place?  Early  in  his  course  Henry  wrote 
his  parents  as  follows:  "Of  course  a  fine 
athlete  may  also  be  a  fine  scholar.  I  have  known 
a  few  such.  The  combination  is  not  impossible, 
but  improbable  and  extremely  rare.  The  reason 
is  that  training  takes  so  much  time  and  strength 
that  few  men  have  enough  left  to  make  good 


HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH     33 

scholars,  and  besides  an  enthusiastic  athlete  is 
very  apt  to  do  this  one  thing,  and  have  very  little 
interest  in  anything  else.  A  good  athlete  must 
be  careful  in  his  diet,  regular  in  his  training,  and 
must  never  sit  up  late.  A  good  student  is  often 
obliged  to  study  hard  and  long.  A  man  may 
start  out  with  the  intention  of  doing  both  things 
well,  but  sooner  or  later  they  are  most  sure  to 
conflict.  He  will  find  himself  face  to  face  with 
four  or  five  hours  of  hard  studying  which  must 
be  done  before  to-morrow.  Then  he  has  to  make 
his  choice.  If  athletics  are  uppermost  in  his 
mind,  he  will  study  what  he  can  and  then  go  to 
bed.  If  this  happens  often,  his  scholarship  will 
suffer.  Then,  since  he  has  lost  one  ideal,  he  will 
devote  himself  more  to  the  other.  After  this  he 
may  be  a  good  athlete,  but  unless  he  stops  train- 
ing he  will  probably  never  be  a  good  scholar.  The 
extreme  opposite  of  these  are  those  whose  whole 
existence  is  bound  up  in  books.  They  seldom 
witness  a  baseball  or  football  game  and  never 
think  of  taking  part  in  one.  They  take  no  in- 
terest in  athletics  or  society,  and  if  one  of  them 
joins  a  debating  society  it  is  with  a  view  to  study- 
ing rhetoric. 

"  A  third  class  are  interested  in  athletics  and 
society,  but  not  to  the  exclusion  of  studying. 
Though  they  may  study  hard  it  is  always  with 
limits.  These  are  moderately  esteemed  by  the 


34      HENRY  DICKINSON   SMITH 

professors,  though  they  may  never  be  brilliant  in 
any  line.  An  athlete  may  meet  with  continual 
disapproval  of  the  faculty  and  yet  be  a  popular 
hero,  while  a  hard  student  may  have  the  pro- 
found admiration  of  every  professor  and  yet  be 
disliked  by  his  classmates  and  the  college.  I  have 
settled  for  myself  that  I  will  not  join  the  first 
class.  I  am  passionately  fond  of  football  and 
moderately  fond  of  baseball,  but  not  fond  enough 
of  either  to  let  them  crowd  out  my  studies,  nor 
to  give  them  the  attention  necessary  to  those  who 
get  on  the  team.  Between  the  other  two  the 
choice  is  harder."  (April  4,  1899.) 

Nothing  could  have  been  more  natural  than 
that  Henry  should  turn  toward  oratory  and  de- 
bate. Beloit  had  an  established  reputation  as 
a  college  of  orators.  Beginning  as  far  back  as 
1874,  a  Beloit  man  won  an  Interstate  first  place. 
Since  then  Beloit's  record  was  five  firsts  and  one 
second  in  the  Interstate.  Of  thirty-three  such 
Interstate  contests,  Beloit  was  represented  in 
twenty-two.  The  Association  includes  sixty- 
three  colleges.  Such  well-known  names  as 
Bryan,  La  Follette,  Beveridge,  and  Finley  were 
among  the  contestants  and  winners.  The  Inter- 
collegiate debates  were  equally  maintained,  and 
opened  avenues  full  of  interest  for  each  incom- 
ing class.  In  the  Codex  of  1905,  Professor 
Chapin  writes :  "  Under  the  stimulus  of  inter- 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     35 

collegiate  competition,  the  old-time  interest  in 
debating  has  revived."  Beloit's  first  inter-collegi- 
ate debate  was  held  at  Knox  college  at  Gales- 
burg  in  1897.  Mr.  Rowell,  instructor  in  oratory, 
writes:  "  At  the  present  time  there  is  no  college 
in  the  country  that  has  a  faculty  more  loyal  to 
the  value  of  oratorical  training.  The  student 
body  is  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  oratorical 
spirit.  Almost  every  man  who  has  any  ability 
has  at  least  made  an  effort  to  win  a  place  on  one 
of  the  various  contests."  Henry  had  taken  part 
in  the  Freshman  debate,  as  already  noted.  With 
the  Junior  year  he  entered  more  fully  into  the 
work  of  public  speaking. 

Early  in  his  Junior  year  he  was  invited  by 
Professor  Bacon  to  be  one  of  the  selected  assist- 
ants in  the  Library.  He  felt  this  as  a  high  com- 
pliment, since  the  work  was  exacting,  demanding 
a  peculiar  grade  of  efficiency  and  intelligence. 
There  were  four  such  appointees,  two  in  each 
upper  class,  with  forty  hours  a  week  to  divide 
between  them.  Professor  Bacon  wished  only 
such  men  as  could  carry  the  work  and  still  main- 
tain a  high  grade  of  scholarship.  In  close  re- 
lation to  Professor  Bacon,  whom  Henry  admired 
very  greatly,  and  whom  all  the  college  revered 
for  his  valorous  surmounting  of  unprecedented 
physical  disability,  he  passed  from  one  intense 
effort  to  another.  The  first  of  these  during  this 


36      HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

year  was  his  effort  to  gain  a  place  on  the  oratori- 
cal contest. 

Naturally  enthusiastic  as  well  as  sensitive  and 
introspective,  his  letters  to  his  father  unfold  his 
growing  methods  of  discipline  and  his  triumph 
over  difficulties.  Early  in  the  year  he  wrote: 
"I  have  only  been  on  rhetoricals  three  times. 
The  principal  difficulty  in  my  case  is  I  am 
apt  to  talk  faster  than  the  audience  can  listen. 
When  appointed,  I  spend  from  two  to  five 
hours  thinking  up  as  good  a  speech  as  I  can, 
repeating  it  and  timing  myself  until  I  have 
a  mastery  of  the  points.  I  am  apt  to  think  of 
too  much  to  say  in  six  minutes,  and  to  lack 
time  to  condense  and  discard.  Then  I  am 
tempted  to  try  and  give  a  fifteen-minute 
speech  in  six  by  sheer  speed,  and  the  effect  is 
lost.  Have  you  ever  had  this  difficulty?" 
(January  13,  1901.) 

"I  do  not  remember  having  said  anything 
about  the  oratorical  contest  in  which  I  took  part 
last  autumn.  All  summer  I  had  been  planning 
and  thinking  and  found  a  subject  in  the  Chinese 
problems  viewed  from  the  standpont  of  the 
duty  of  American  world-leadership.  For  seven 
weeks  I  worked  at  it  with  tremendous  energy.  I 
spent  from  twelve  to  twenty  hours  a  week  in 
writing  and  re- writing."  Sixteen  men  were  to 
take  part  in  the  preliminaries,  eight  were  to  be 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     37 

chosen  in  December.  The  competitors  were  some 
of  them  very  strong  and  competent  writers  of 
the  upper  class,  the  contest  being  open  to  Juniors 
and  Seniors.  It  was  a  disappointment  to  such 
eagerness  to  fall  behind  in  the  race;  not  attain- 
ing to  the  first  three.  He  writes:  "  I  have  met 
defeat  before,  never  one  quite  like  this.  It  came 
as  a  storm  from  the  blue  sky.  It  crushed  the  life 
out  of  me  and  took  away  all  my  energy.  I  can't 
seem  to  get  up  any  interest  in  oratory  now,  al- 
though but  a  short  time  ago  it  was  the  principal 
ambition  of  my  life."  (Same  date.) 

The  studies  of  Junior  year,  psychology,  ad- 
vanced Greek,  Biblical  study  in  the  new  required 
course,  were  full  of  interest  to  him,  and  debating 
preliminaries  added  their  own  weight.  "  The 
spring  term  of  my  Junior  year  was  the  hardest 
of  my  life,  and  at  times  it  seemed  as  if  I  could 
not  bear  it,  but  by  easing  up  at  a  crucial  time 
I  averted  a  crisis."  He  ran  the  gauntlet  of  the 
preliminaries  and  was  selected  leader  of  the  team 
for  the  Knox  debate.  The  two  other  members 
were  Seniors.  In  preparing  for  this  debate 
Henry  showed  a  disposition,  which  steadily  grew 
upon  him,  to  devote  himself  aggressively  to  the 
matter  in  hand  to  partial  neglect  of  other  duties. 

The  question  chosen  for  debate  was :  "  Re- 
solved, that  Labor  Unions,  as  now  conducted,  are 
for  the  best  interests  of  the  United  States."  The 


38      HENRY  DICKINSON    SMITH 

artlessness  of  his  own  estimate  of  the  effort  will 
add  interest  to  the  result. 

A  letter  gives  this  full  report  of  the  debating 
experience :  "  During  the  spring  vacation  I  went 
to  Chicago  and  studied  union  labor  there.  The 
policy  of  the  Buildings  Trades  Council  had  been 
such  as  to  supply  me  with  abundant  material  for 
the  negative  of  the  question.  I  felt  keenly  the 
responsibility  of  being  leader  of  the  team.  It 
means  forethought,  detailed  planning,  continual 
readjustment  of  material  and  generalship.  A 
good  leader  ought  to  do  more  work  than  the 
other  two  men.  My  own  speeches  required  more 
work  and  more  time,,  and  I  must  keep  ahead  of 
the  two  seniors.  The  debate  took  place  on  the 
19th  of  April.  We  were  met  at  the  station  and 
escorted  to  the  hotel.  Throughout  our  stay  they 
were  most  gentlemanly  and  cordial  in  entertain- 
ing us.  We  were  not  well  prepared,  having  had 
really  a  short  time  for  practicing  together.  I 
had  lightened  my  school  work  and  postponed 
everything  that  could  possibly  be  postponed,  to 
work  day  and  night  on  the  debate.  The  Chicago 
trip  had  brought  me  great  results  in  facts  and 
figures.  The  manager  of  the  debate  called,  and 
said  he  hoped  we  would  not  think  it  discourteous, 
but  that  the  local  labor  union  had  agreed  to  attend 
the  meeting  in  a  body.  This  meant  that  we  must 
wage  war  on  the  Labor  Unions  in  their  own 


HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH     39 

homes  and  before  a  hostile  audience.  He  thought 
it  only  fair  to  tell  me  that  in  anticipation  of  any 
— oh! — demonstration  he  had  arranged  to  have 
several  policemen  present  to  preserve  order.  I 
offered  no  objection,  provided  in  case  of  any  dis- 
order, we  should  have  the  extra  time  that  was 
lost.  I  was  far  from  feeling  as  cool  as  I  ap- 
peared. The  Knox  men  all  memorized  their 
speeches.  We  outlined  ours  carefully,  wrote 
them  out,  polished  them  up,  put  the  main  heads 
on  cards.  The  outline  method  gives  one  control 
of  excellent  language,  yet  leaves  him  independ- 
ent of  words  and  sentences.  A  glance  at  the 
card  concealed  in  the  hand  was  a  sure  preventive 
against  forgetting.  The  debate  was  to  take  place 
at  eight  o'clock.  At  seven-thirty,  on  looking 
from  my  window,  I  saw  a  brass  band,  leading  a 
huge  torchlight  procession  of  working  men,  with 
banners  and  mottoes, '  We  are  for  Labor  Unions ; 
Organized  Labor  for  Knox.'  But  these  could 
not  prevent  Beloit  from  making  a  good  showing. 
When  we  three  met  in  my  room  I  told  the  others 
how  I  felt,  and  then  an  idea  came  to  me.  I  said, 
we  were  all  three  Y.  M.  C.  A.  men,  and  that 
it  was  a  good  time  to  keep  our  Christianity  with 
us.  Then,  bowing  our  heads  for  a  few  minutes 
we  prayed  that  whether  we  win  or  lose,  we  might 
not  at  any  time  forget  that  we  were  sons  of  Beloit 
and  Christian  gentlemen. 


40     HENRY  DICKINSON   SMITH 

"  The  great  debate  was  on.  The  presiding 
officer  called  on  Knox's  first  speaker.  His  argu- 
ments were  carefully  prepared,  thoroughly 
memorized,  well  delivered.  In  reply,  I  briefly 
referred  to  his  speech,  stated  what  each  of  our 
three  speakers  intended  to  present,  outlining  my 
own  speech.  I  spoke  on  the  growth  of  the  Build- 
ing Trades  Council,  the  most  gigantic  tryranny 
ever  established  by  any  human  institution  or 
agency  in  any  free  American  city.  A  curious 
thing  happened  here.  There  were  in  the  audience 
a  few  non-union  plumbers  who  had  been  in 
Chicago  and  had  felt  the  bitterness  of  that  des- 
potism. The  only  demonstration  of  the  evening 
was  when  I  summed  up  the  effects  of  the  Build- 
ing Trades  Council's  conduct  in  Chicago.  '  What 
was  the  result  of  such  an  attitude  on  the  part  of 
ignorant,  unscrupulous  labor  leaders  in  Chicago? 
Contractors,  unable  to  satisfy  their  unreasonable 
demands,  were  driven  out  of  business;  building 
came  to  a  standstill ;  more  than  fifty  million  dol- 
lars' worth  of  contracts  were  lost;  workmen  lost 
thirty  million  dollars  in  wages;  industry  was 
paralyzed;  law  was  set  aside  and  utterly  disre- 
garded; the  liberty  of  American  workingmen 
was  trampled  in  the  dust/  I  gestured  toward  a 
body  of  rough-looking  men  on  my  right  who 
wore  no  union  badges.  From  them  broke  out  a 
crash  of  applause.  The  offending  workmen  were 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     41 

the  scabs  of  whom  I  had  been  speaking.  They 
felt  the  truth  of  what  I  said.  I  went  on  to  show 
what  I  considered  the  true  sphere  of  usefulness 
of  the  unions  and  their  limitations.  It  does  not 
increase  production,  nor  in  any  way  add  to  the 
sum  of  the  nation's  wealth;  it  does  not  increase 
the  efficiency  of  its  members ;  it  does  not  enlarge 
profits,  although  by  force  of  arms  it  can  compel 
the  employer  to  part  with  some  of  his  share,  as 
wages.  Our  opponents  have  not  tried  to  prove 
that  the  employers'  share  is  too  large  or  that 
reason  and  justice  demand  such  readjustment  as 
the  unions  try  to  enforce.  The  unions  do  not 
claim  to  be  altruistic  organizations,  working  for 
the  good  of  society,  but  only  claim  that  they  ben- 
efit the  people  of  the  United  States  indirectly. 
Now  only  one -fourteenth  of  the  working  class 
and  not  more  than  one-third  of  the  total  adult 
population  of  the  United  States  are  members  of 
the  unions,  and  what  benefit  there  is  may  not  be 
necessarily  for  the  benefit  of  the  whole  people.' 
'  The  debate  grew  more  fierce,  the  excitement 
more  intense  as  the  argument  drew  to  a  close  and 
the  contest  was  seen  to  be  nearly  equal.  In  the 
Knox  rebuttal  I  was  watching  every  word  like 
a  tiger  crouching  for  a  spring.  The  leader  said : 
*  It  is  not  fair  to  say  only  three  per  cent,  of  the 
adult  population  of  the  United  States  belong  to 
labor  unions,  because  that  is  comparing  the  wilds 


42      HENRY  DICKINSON    SMITH 

of  Arkansas  with  the  highly  organized  industrial 
centers.  In  the  great  cities,  where  four-fifths  of 
the  labor  is  organized,  you  may  properly  study 
industrial  conditions  and  tendencies  of  to-day.' 
The  applause  for  this  speaker  lasted  several 
minutes. 

'  When  it  died  away,  I  rose  to  reply,  feeling 
the  supreme  moment  had  come:  *  Ladies  and 
gentlemen,  I  have  spent  nearly  one-third  of  my 
first  speech  in  a  survey  of  the  largest  industrial 
center  in  the  United  States,  where  four-fifths 
of  labor  is  organized,  showing  the  conditions  and 
inevitable  consequences  of  that  strong  highly 
centralized  form  of  organization  towards  which 
all  labor  unions  are  striving,  and  what  did  my 
honorable  opponent  say?  *  Oh,,  that  is  Chicago, 
that's  an  exceptional  case.'  He  says  we  must  go 
to  great  industrial  centers  to  study  conditions 
and  tendencies.  It  is  the  truest  thing  he  has  said 
to-night,  and  the  most  utterly  destructive  of  his 
line  of  argument.'  I  closed  by  putting  my  whole 
soul  into  an  appeal  for  the  stability  of  industry, 
the  promotion  of  commercial  prosperity  and 
supremacy  and  purity  of  city  politics,  the  main- 
tenance of  social  unity  and  peace,  and  the  sanc- 
tity of  individual  liberty,  social  status,  and  moral 
law,  so  often  violated  by  the  labor  unions  of 
to-day.  The  strain  of  the  speech  was  something 
terrific.  I  do  not  believe  I  could  have  walked  off 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     43 

the  stage  without  help.  Every  one  of  the  judges 
gave  his  decision  for  Knox.  Either  the  audience 
was  too  much  for  them,  or  they  gave  their  vote 
to  the  men  who  had  made  the  best  speeches,  but 
they  could  not  see  who  had  made  the  best  argu- 
ment. 

"For  a  time  I  was  heart-broken,  but  since 
then  there  has  come  a  stern  resolve  to  take  life 
more  seriously,  and  win  things  after  this."  (June 
23,  1901.) 

It  was  quite  true  that  Henry  returned  to 
Beloit  exhausted  physically,  and  greatly  op- 
pressed because  his  team,  finely  equipped  as  they 
were,  had  not  carried  the  day.  The  sense  of  de- 
pression lasted  many  days. 

A  later  letter  gives  further  comments  on  that 
debate :  "  I  think  I  told  you  my  college  experi- 
ence up  to  and  including  the  Knox  debate.  Lu- 
cius Porter  and  I  were  very  much  disappointed 
at  the  result,  and  I  felt  exceedingly  tired  after 
four  months  of  extremely  strenuous  work.  There 
are  some  disadvantages  about  working  on  an  in- 
ter-collegiate debate,  but  I  believe  it  is  worth  all 
it  costs.  Few  men  can  have  the  privilege  of 
taking  part  in  such  a  contest,  and  no  one  who  has 
not  can  understand  how  much  it  is  worth.  Last 
year's  debate  was  of  more  use  to  me  in  teaching 
me  how  to  face  the  world,  how  to  deal  with  men, 
and  how  to  enter  the  battles  of  life  than  any 


44      HENRY  DICKINSON    SMITH 

other  semester  of  study  that  I  have  spent  in 
college.  I  have  been  asked  to  go  in  for  it  again 
and  am  seriously  considering  the  idea.  I  would 
like  nothing  better  than  to  win  one  decisive  vic- 
tory for  Old  Beloit  before  I  graduate.  It  would 
be  worth  all  it  cost."  (July  26,  1901.) 

But  Henry's  work  in  debating  for  that  year 
did  not  end  with  the  defeat  at  Knox.  Professor 
Bacon,  in  spite  of  his  physical  limitations,  was 
always  one  of  the  most  valuable  debate  coaches. 
But  even  his  determination  could  not  make  his 
strength  equal  to  evening  work  that  spring,  and 
he  called  in  Henry  Smith  to  aid  the  Freshmen  in 
their  Ripon  debate. 

Henry  writes :  "  When  the  Shakespeare  play 
was  over,  I  gave  all  my  spare  time  to  coaching 
the  team.  I  worked  with  individuals  every  spare 
hour  I  could  get  through  the  day,  and  every 
evening  we  had  a  consultation  with  Professor 
Bacon  and  Professor  Chapin.  Ripon  had  un- 
dertaken to  prove  that  in  cities  of  the  United 
States  of  a  population  of  50,000,  municipalizing 
of  public  utilities,  gas,  electric  light,  and  railways, 
was  preferable  to  private  ownership.  This  was 
a  question  that  I  knew  very  little  about,  so  that 
every  night  I  had  to  study  for  several  hours.  I 
made  the  men  work  strenuously  all  day  and  go 
to  bed  early.  As  for  myself  I  did  not  miss  a 
recitation.  I  don't  believe  in  neglecting  regular 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     45 

work  for  outside  enterprises,  and  was  careful  to 
set  my  Freshmen  a  good  example.  I  became  so 
interested  that  I  went  with  the  team  to  cheer 
them  up.  The  Beloit  men  did  amazingly  well, 
though  defeated  by  unanimous  decision.  But 
they  had  gained  a  great  deal,  and  I  had  learned 
almost  as  much  about  debate  as  they  had."  (May 
24,  1901.) 

This  full  year  ended  with  another  speaking 
contest  for  Henry.  He  writes:  "Commence- 
ment was  as  impressive  and  beautiful  as  usual, 
and  a  great  deal  more  interesting  to  me  than  any 
previous,  since  it  came  nearer  home.  Professor 
Bacon  always  wants  the  men  whom  he  honors 
with  an  appointment  on  the  library  corps  to  take 
front  rank  in  whatever  they  undertake.  He  was 
disappointed  when  the  Rice  prize,  extempora- 
neous speaking  took  place.  Six  of  us  took  part. 
The  subject  was  given  out  at  7  A.  M.  '  The  rela- 
tion of  the  steel  trust  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States.'  Twenty-seven  hours  of  mental  torture 
followed.  I  read,  wrote,  tore  up,  rehearsed,  and 
waited.  The  judges  gave  the  prize  to  one  of  my 
classmates.  The  only  criticism  suggested  on  my 
delivery  was  that  I  talked  too  fast.  All  three 
judges  gave  the  first  place  to  Beaubien.  No 
defeat  is  tolerable  to  me  till  I  have  learned  some 
useful  lesson  from  it.  I  have  learned  two 
things:  I  must  improve  my  delivery,  especially 


46     HENRY  DICKINSON   SMITH 

in  learning  to  talk  more  slowly.  It  will  be  only 
by  doing  more  work  than  others  that  I  can  rely 
on  any  superiority."  (August  11,  1901.) 

In  the  early  days  of  the  summer  vacation 
Henry  attended  the  World's  Students'  Assem- 
bly, at  Lake  Geneva.  He  enjoyed  this  greatly. 
His  deepening  religious  life  found  new  scope. 
He  joined  the  "  Student  Volunteers,"  and  re- 
turned with  real  enthusiasm.  Mr.  Beach,  once 
of  the  North  China  Mission,  was  perhaps  the 
special  influence. 

"  At  Geneva,"  Henry  writes,  "  we  had  ten 
days  of  most  delightful  and  inspiring  combina- 
tion of  physical  and  spiritual  uplift.  The  most 
impressive  feature,  to  me,  was  the  life-work  meet- 
ings. Many  men  had  come  to  settle  such  life 
work  problems,  and  many  others  were  led  to  con- 
sider, or  reconsider,  such  questions  in  a  new  light. 
I  found  myself  in  the  latter  class.  I  had  no 
definite  aim  most  of  the  time,  but  toward  the  lat- 
ter part  of  Junior  year  my  predominating  inter- 
est in  Political  Science  had  seemed  to  indicate  a 
legal  career  for  me.  I  had  not  considered  it 
much  from  the  standpoint  of  the  world's  need, 
nor  of  where  I  could  be  of  most  service  to  God 
and  humanity.  No  one  was  urged  to  sign  the 
Volunteer  declaration: '  It  is  my  purpose,  if  God 
permits,  to  become  a  foreign  missionary.'  It  is 
no  pledge,  and  is  not  considered  such,  but  may 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     47 

be  changed  as  one's  purpose  changes.  After 
thinking  the  matter  over  from  every  possible 
standpoint,  I  finally  signed  the  declaration  as  a 
Student  Volunteer,  and  have  felt  much  better 
ever  since.  My  doubts  and  troubles  have  lasted 
for  several  years,  and  are  only  just  now  begin- 
ning to  get  cleared  up."  (August  13,  1901.) 

During  the  summer  vacation  Henry  went  to 
Chicago  for  a  few  weeks  to  study  oratory  in  a 
summer  school  at  the  University,  with  Professor 
W.  B.  Chamberlain.  He  took  fifteen  lessons. 
He  says  of  these: 

"  I  worked  hard  at  public  speaking  with  Pro- 
fessor Chamberlain.  He  saw  through  my  diffi- 
culties at  once  and  started  me  on  the  right  way 
to  overcome  and  remedy  my  deficiencies.  He 
helped  me  immensely,  and  what  he  did  will  be 
of  lifelong  value  to  me." 

Along  the  line  of  spiritual  development  it  is 
interesting  to  read  from  a  letter  to  his  mother: 
"  I  am  coming  to  sympathize  more  with  some  of 
your  views  than  I  did  at  Oakland  and  get  great 
help  from  the  "  Daily  Light "  which  you  sent  me. 
I  received  your  letters  late  in  May,  and  it  has 
kept  me  thinking  ever  since.  I  believe  it  had 
more  influence  over  me  than  any  one  letter  I 
have  ever  received.  Next  year  is  to  be  a  busy 
happy  life,  but  not  too  strenuous."  That  next 
year  was  his  Senior  year. 


48      HENRY  DICKINSON    SMITH 

One  of  the  duties  of  the  vacation  was  the  prep- 
aration of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Handbook.  His 
business  experience  made  the  solicitation  of 
"  ads  "  less  burdensome  to  him  than  it  would  have 
been  to  others.  He  made  a  genuine  success  of 
it,  and  the  literary  part,  full  of  happy  hits  and 
quaint  suggestion,  made  it  one  of  the  best  of  the 
series. 

The  athletic  interest  in  the  college  life  had 
awakened  the  physical  energies  of  this  stalwart 
youth.  As  vacation  drew  toward  a  close,  Henry 
joined  a  camp  of  athletes  on  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  hoping,  if  possible,  "to  make  the 
team."  He  had,  however,  special  limitations. 
Owing  to  bronchial  trouble  he  could  not  run  or 
hurdle  as  others.  But  he  could  throw  into  it  the 
intensest  effort.  He  could  enjoy  the  elan  of  the 
strenuous  struggle.  In  such  an  effort  he  was  full 
of  muscular  energy,  eager  as  a  racehorse  to  make 
the  supreme  effort.  He  did  not  make  the  team, 
but  they  elected  him  to  the  second  eleven,  of 
which  he  became  captain,  much  to  his  delight. 

After  the  season  was  over  he  reported  the  ac- 
tivities of  the  term:  "  I  want  to  tell  you  as  much 
as  I  can  of  what  I  am  doing  and  of  the  things 
that  interest  me  most.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Hand- 
book— before  referred  to — says:  'Make  study 
first,  that  is  what  you  came  for.'  I  know,  be- 
cause I  wrote  it  myself.  Which  only  shows  that 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     49 

it  is  easier  to  preach  to  Freshmen  than  to  act 
rightly  as  Seniors.  International  Law  is  a  splen- 
did course  under  Mr.  Matheson,  a  successful  law- 
yer in  Janesville.  It  is  intensely  interesting. 
Ethics  comes  on  Tuesday  and  Wednesday.  We 
are  studying  it  from  the  point  of  moral  standard 
and  of  the  concrete  moral  life.  Philosophy  is  a 
course  in  the  history  of  Modern  Philosophy  and 
the  lives  and  ideas  of  the  world's  greatest 
thinkers.  This  is  in  some  respects  the  most 
broadening  course  I  have  ever  taken.  Finance, 
under  Professor  Chapin,  interests  me  very  much, 
as  all  study  and  research  along  the  line  of  politi- 
cal science  and  political  economy  always  does. 
It  deals  with  the  how  and  why  of  government 
incomes  and  expenditures.  Victorian  literature 
is,  with  Miss  Pitkin,  an  extremely  interesting 
study.  This  is  by  far  the  hardest  course,  requires 
a  vast  amount  of  reading  of  the  most  absorbing 
kind.  Classic  art,  under  Professor  Wright,  is 
easy  for  me,  because  I  have  studied  Latin 
and  Greek  so  much.  I  recognized  that  I 
was  almost  wholly  ignorant  of  art,  and  wanted 
to  learn  how  to  study  it. 

"  I  am  captain  of  the  second  eleven  football 
team  now.  The  scrub  team  includes  those  play- 
ers not  chosen  to  play  on  the  first  eleven.  The 
second  eleven  men  play  against  the  first,  or  l  Var- 
sity,' every  night  to  give  them  practice.  I  told 


50      HENRY  DICKINSON   SMITH 

you  why  I  desired  to  make  an  athlete.  I  care 
little  for  football  as  sport.  At  first  I  hoped  to 
get  on  the  first  team,  but  the  coach  appointed  me 
captain  of  the  second  eleven  and  asked  me  to  de- 
vote my  energies  to  keeping  it  up  to  a  high  grade. 
The  responsibility  is  by  no  means  small,  and  it 
has  put  me  in  hard  positions  many  times.  I 
pick  out  the  hardest  things  for  myself.  Every 
captain  does  that.  We  play  every  night  against 
the  strongest  and  most  experienced  athletes  in 
college.  An  hour  and  a  half  is  most  exhausting. 
It  brings  as  desirable  results  magnificent  health 
and  splendid  physique.  A  hygienic  mode  of  life 
is  a  balance-wheel,  preventing  excessive  mental 
work,  and  responsibility  matures  and  strengthens. 
On  one  occasion  the  first  eleven  had  a  practice 
game  with  Rockford  Y.  M.  C.  A.  When  the 
game  was  half  over,  the  coach  took  out  the  first 
eleven  and  put  in  the  second.  The  score  for  the 
first  half  was  17-0.  At  the  end  it  was  34-0,  for 
my  team  had  done  as  well  as  the  'Varsity,  scor- 
ing a  triumph  and  making  quite  a  reputation.  A 
return  game  was  arranged.  I  took  the  scrubs 
to  Rockford.  They  did  splendidly,  so  that  the 
result  was  in  our  favor  35-0.  Work  tells.  That 
is  enough  of  athletics. 

"  The  library  work  seems  less  to  me  since  Pro- 
fessor Bacon  is  no  longer  there;  but  a  man  ap- 
pointed to  an  honorable  position  is  supposed  to 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     51 

stick  to  the  place  while  he  is  in  school.  Professor 
B.  picked  his  men  and  rather  encouraged  all  his 
assistants  to  enter  into  everything  they  could, 
releasing  them  from  library  work  if  necessary." 
(Oct.  10,  1901). 

The  letter-heads  show  that  Henry  was  elected 
Treasurer  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  "  It  is  enough 
work  to  occupy  all  the  spare  time  of  a  very  busy 
man.  The  problem  of  raising  and  spending  (for 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.)  $175-$200  a  year  is  not  a  small 
one.  Seniors  always  lead  in  college  affairs  and 
for  obvious  reasons.  My  class  contains  only 
twenty  men,  of  whom  only  half  are  members  of 
this  society.  I  hope  to  break  in  the  chairman  of 
the  finance  committee  to  take  much  of  the  work 
off  my  hands." 

From  the  Codex  of  1903  we  learn  that  Henry 
was  associate  editor  of  the  Round  Table,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Cliosophic  Society,  and  one  of  the 
eight  speakers  on  the  Home  Contest  in  oratory. 
Of  the  former  he  wrote:  "At  present  I  have 
only  to  take  three  or  four  hours  a  week  to  read 
proof  and  write  occasional  editorials.  I  am 
President  of  the  volunteer  band  now.  We  are 
studying  Mott's  '  Evangelization  of  the  World 
in  this  generation.'  I  am  surprised  at  his  mod- 
eration, and  am  inclined  to  think  he  is  about 
right.  I  find  more  time  for  social  recreation  this 
year.  I  very  much  regret  that  I  have  not  sue- 


52      HENRY  DICKINSON    SMITH 

ceeded  in  getting  in  more  music  than  I  have. 
The  few  lessons  that  I  took  when  a  Sophomore 
represent  all  the  training  I  have  had,  and  now  I 
cannot  sing.  I  am  trying  to  cultivate  a  thought- 
ful life  more  than  ever  before,  realizing  the  su- 
perficiality of  a  life  made  up  of  doing  innum- 
erable things  at  lightning  speed,  without  much 
thought  I  read  the  "Daily  Light "  which  mother 
gave  me  every  day  almost  and  try  to  cultivate  a 
prayer  life  of  my  own.  You  will  remember  that 
I  wrote  of  my  bitter  defeat  in  the  Home  Ora- 
torical Contest  and  my  consequent  discourage- 
ment. Professor  Bacon  said  to  me  on  my  re- 
turn: '  Three  hundred  and  sixty-three  days  to  the 
next  contest,  Henry.'  This  year  I  had  but  little 
time  to  give  to  it  and  scarcely  expected  anything 
but  ignominious  defeat.  My  work  last  year  was 
not  wasted.  I  got  on  the  first  eight  this  time  and 
am  planning  to  get  to  work  for  the  contest. 
Heredity  is  cropping  out  in  great  chunks." 

Professor  Bacon,  to  whom  Henry  was  greatly 
attached,  passed  through  a  period  of  great 
feebleness,  and  at  last  succumbed  in  October  of 
that  year.  Henry  writes : — "  I  think  I  wrote 
you  of  the  death  and  burial  of  my  friend  Pro- 
fessor Charles  Bacon.  Since  then  a  memorial 
number  of  the  Round  Table  has  been  issued.  I 
have  taken  the  place  of  the  editor  in  chief,  so  the 
editorial  is  my  tribute  to  my  dead  friend.  I  have 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     53 

attacked  my  oration  seriously  and  am  tremen- 
dously perplexed  to  know  what  to  do  to  make  it 
five  hundred  per  cent,  better  than  it  was  in  the 
last  contest.  Here  is  where  I  miss  Professor 
Bacon  most.  What  I  need  more  than  help  is  to 
concentrate  my  mental  energy  on  this  one  thing 
and  do  the  work  necessary  to  achieve  excellence. 
The  Home  Contest  comes  December  13.  Per- 
haps I  have  not  told  you  of  the  recent  formation 
of  an  English  Club  here.  The  idea  is  that  of  a 
voluntary  organization  to  meet  for  an  hour  once 
in  two  weeks.  I  pushed  Professor  Wallace's  idea 
vigorously.  It  became  immensely  popular. 

About  a  third  of  the  students  attended  the  first 
meeting.  I  was  appointed  a  committee  to  draw 
up  a  Constitution.  They  accepted  my  Constitu- 
tion and  elected  me  President.  I  didn't  kick. 
Professor  Bacon  cured  me  of  that  trick  long 
ago."  (Nov.  9,  1901.) 

The  Oratorical  Contest  came  off  at  the  ap- 
pointed time.  The  judges  gave  Henry  only  the 
third  place,  thus  leaving  him  off  from  the  In- 
tercollegiate. 

He  began  planning  for  the  following  year. 
He  thought  of  the  alternatives  of  Teaching  or 
Post-Graduate  study.  "  The  possibility  has  oc- 
curred to  me  that  I  ought  to  go  to  some  Theo- 
logical Seminary.  I  have  not  planned  for  this, 
because  I  do  not  believe  I  am  ready  for  it  yet. 


54      HENRY  DICKINSON    SMITH 

If  you  see  reasons  that  I  cannot,  why  should  I  not 
hasten  to  China  as  soon  as  possible.  I  suppose 
I  could  plan  for  1905.  In  one  of  your  latest 
letters  you  ask  what  I  read.  Perhaps  you  will 
be  interested  to  know  what  books  are  on  shelves 
of  my  table  now.  The  most  are  library  books  of 
which  as  librarian  I  draw  a  great  many."  There 
follows  a  list  of  some  fifty  books,  covering  the 
themes  of  semester  study,  or  those  of  oration  and 
debate.  "My  library  training  has  taught  me 
how  to  read  large  numbers  of  books  rapidly  and 
at  the  same  time  to  get  from  them  most  of  what 
is  worth  while.  I  expect  to  change  at  least  half 
of  them  before  New  Years'.  I  am  sometimes 
tempted  to  drop  all  of  my  numberless  responsi- 
bilities and  retire  into  such  a  life  as  some  of  my 
classmates  live,  of  seclusion  and  leisure,  learning 
their  lessons  and  reading  many  good  books. 

"  Before  I  forget  it,  I  want  to  answer  some  of 
the  questions  in  some  of  your  letters.  I  weigh 
about  149  pounds  stripped,  or  about  157  with 
my  clothes  on.  The  football  players  all  weigh 
after  undressing  and  before  putting  on  their 
football  suits  every  day  and  again  after  practice 
to  see  how  much  weight  they  have  lost  by  hard 
work.  The  average  loss  runs  from  two  to  four 
pounds*  but  I  have  lost  as  much  as  six  pounds 
in  a  hard-fought  game.  Of  course  I  would  gain 
it  back  in  the  course  of  twenty-four  hours.  My 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     55 

throat  has  troubled  me  very  little  since  the  win- 
ter of  my  Sophomore  year,  when  I  was  thought 
to  have  consumption.  That  danger  is  now  gone, 
but  I  am  always  rather  careful. 

"  Examination  week  is  always  a  trying  ordeal, 
but  it  was  particularly  wearing  for  me  this  time, 
because  I  have  been  doing  almost  everything  ex- 
cept study.  I  worked  furiously  during  the  week 
reviewing  and  cramming  for  exams,  and  thereby 
added  four  or  five  credits  to  what  I  could  other- 
wise expect.  Only  one  or  two  in  my  class  got 
higher  averages,  so  that  I  feel  fairly  well  satis- 
fied. I  feel  how  far  short  I  have  fallen  of  a 
scholarly  ideal.  I  appreciate  the  force  of  the 
suggestion  made  in  your  last  letter  that  there  is 
danger  of  superficiality  in  dissipating  one's  ener- 
gies, and  am  trying  now  to  do  fewer  things  and 
do  them  better.  I  am  still  Treasurer  of  the  Y. 
M.  C.  A.,  but  the  work  of  collecting  is  being 
done  by  the  Committees,  and  I  merely  supervise 
and  urge  the  work  on.  Instead  of  going  on  a 
begging  expedition  whenever  a  little  money  was 
needed  I  inaugurated  a  plan  of  having  regular 
membership  dues  of  twenty-five  cents  a  term.  In 
this  way  $170  was  raised  in  pledges  without  any 
difficulty.  Then  all  who  were  not  members  were 
asked  to  contribute,  and  their  generous  subscrip- 
tions showed  that  even  the  unreligious  men  ap- 
preciate the  value  of  the  work.  In  trying  to 


56      HENRY  DICKINSON   SMITH 

change  all  this  I  have  encountered  many  obstacles 
and  much  opposition,  but  at  every  point  I  have 
insisted  on  being  businesslike,  and  the  others 
have  let  me  have  my  way.  I  have  already  dis- 
bursed $250,  including  the  Handbook.  The  peo- 
ple who  don't  approve  of  my  methods  are  de- 
lighted with  the  results,  for  this  is  the  most 
prosperous  year  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  has  had.  We 
have  started  a  very  good  Missionary  Library, 
which  is  used  a  good  deal.  This  is  the  first  thing 
I  have  ever  done  on  a  large  scale  to  help  any  re- 
ligious organization,  and  it  has  been  an  unquali- 
fied success.  I  am  now  editor  in  chief  of  the 
Round  Table,  and  although  it  involves  some  re- 
sponsibility, it  does  not  bother  me  much.  I  say 
to  one:  'Do  this,  and  he  does  it,  and  to  another, 
Go,  and  he  goes.'  I  determine  what  the  policy 
of  the  paper  shall  be,  write  some  of  the  editorials, 
keep  the  editorial  staff  at  work,  and  bother  very 
little  about  details.  I  think  I  have  told  you  that 
I  have  gone  back  to  the  library  for  five  hours' 
work  a  week.  I  did  not  want  to  go  back  into 
something  from  which  I  had  escaped.  Professor 
Chapin  besought  me  as  a  matter  of  service  to 
the  college,  which  he  said  needed  my  service  very 
much."  (February  15,  1902.) 

The  event  of  the  Senior  year,  aside  from 
faithful  study  and  library  work,  was  once  more 
the  Knox  debate.  Although  it  was  not  custom- 


HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH     57 

ary  to  give  the  honor  of  this  debate  to  the  same 
person  in  successive  years,  he  was  urged  to  enter 
the  contest  again,  and  feeling  that  it  was  due  to 
the  college  to  win  at  least  one  such  prize,  he 
once  more  entered  the  lists.  It  is  unnecessary 
to  suggest  again  the  enthusiasm  and  energy  with 
which  he  entered  the  contest.  He  was  duly  elected 
leader  of  the  fateful  three.  The  Knox  debate 
was  held  this  year  at  Beloit.  The  Beloit  spirit 
was  manifest  in  the  anticipatory  expectation. 
The  usual  incidents  of  debate  appeared  until 
the  final  rebuttal,  which  fell  to  his  share. 
Professor  Collie,  in  a  graphic  sentence,  sums  up 
the  result:  "  Henry  was  a  power  in  debate  and 
became,  perhaps,  the  most  famous  of  undergrad- 
uate debaters  in  our  history.  In  this  debate, 
1902,  Beloit  had  apparently  lost,  when  Henry 
rose  to  make  his  argument  in  rebuttal.  No  one 
present  will  be  likely  to  forget  that  speech.  His 
generalship,  his  quick  wit,  with  his  eager,  pas- 
sionate argument  simply  swept  the  Knox  men 
from  their  feet  and  Beloit  won  the  decision.  The 
ambition  of  the  college  youth  was  satisfied. 
Eager  intensity  and  strength  carried  the  day." 

Of  it  Henry  himself  wrote :  "  The  general 
impression  of  it  remains  with  me  as  being  one  of 
the  fortunate  events  of  my  Senior  year.  It  en- 
abled me  to  leave  college  with  the  sensation  that 
life  didn't  owe  me  anything.  It  was  the  fiercest 


58      HENRY  DICKINSON    SMITH 

and  most  desperate  battle  I  ever  took  part  in." 
The  remaining  interests  of  this  year  are  best 
summed  up  in  his  own  words. 

"  Immediately  after  the  Knox  debate,  April 
19, 1  began  work  with  the  Freshman  team,  which 
was  to  debate  May  23,  and  the  Sophomores,  for 
May  29.  There  was  nobody  else  to  do  this  and 
the  school  looked  to  me  in  the  emergency.  From 
one  point  of  view  it  was  sheer  sacrifice  and  loss 
on  my  part.  I  was  tired  and  somewhat  behind 
in  my  studies  and  desirous  of  making  them  up. 
On  the  other  hand,  coaching  two  teams  would 
be  good  practice  for  the  Oregon  place,  and  win- 
ning those  debates  would  be  the  finest  kind  of 
recommendation  and  might  get  me  the  place. 
Besides,  the  prestige  and  honor  of  Beloit  were 
at  stake.  Each  team  called  on  me  in  a  body 
and  asked  me  themselves.  I  made  my  own  terms. 
They  were  to  follow  my  instructions  in  every 
detail,  and  I  was  to  do  for  them  everything  that 
energy  and  experience  in  debate  could  do  to  en- 
sure their  victory.  I  watched  over  them,  sent 
them  to  bed  early,  and  to  regular  and  hard  work. 
I  would  not  let  them  go  to  the  theater,  nor  smoke, 
and  made  them  work  hard.  It  was  just  what 
Professor  Bacon  had  done  for  me.  The  last 
week  I  used  my  influence  with  the  faculty  and 
had  the  men  excused  from  recitations.  The 
Freshmen  were  colts  and  hard  to  handle.  The 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     59 

leader  was  quick,  bright  and  rather  hard  to  man- 
age, on  the  whole.  The  debate  took  place  at 
Beloit. 

'*  The  Ripon  boys  tried  to  prove  that  compul- 
sory arbitration  of  labor  disputes  should  be 
adopted  in  the  United  States.  The  Beloit  men 
claimed  that  voluntary  arbitration  was  better, 
and  that  compulsory  arbitration  involved  a  viola- 
tion of  personal  rights  and  a  sacrifice  of  individ- 
ual liberty.  The  Beloit  speeches  were  better,  and 
better  delivered  than  those  of  their  opponents. 
Two  judges  voted  for  Beloit.  A  great  weight 
was  lifted  from  my  mind,  but  I  became  doubly 
anxious  over  the  Sophomores,  who  were  to  de- 
bate against  Carleton.  Of  course  I  went  to 
Northfield  with  the  team.  It  was  a  fast,  hard 
battle  clear  through,  and  the  result  was  doubtful 
more  than  half  of  the  time.  Gradually  the 
splendid  condition  and  training  of  the  Beloit 
men  began  to  tell.  They  braced  up  as  their  op- 
ponents weakened  and  won  clearly  in  a  furious 
finish.  The  judges'  decision  was  two  to  one  for 
Beloit.  Maybe  we  did  not  get  an  enthusiastic 
reception.  I  never  was  so  lionized  in  my  life. 
The  Sophs  made  old  Beloit  ring  with  their  yells 
and  illuminated  the  town  by  burning  red  fire  up 
and  down  the  streets.  We  had  to  make  speeches 
and  receive  congratulations  and  there  was  music 
and  rejoicing,  ice  cream,  and  cake. 


60     HENRY  DICKINSON    SMITH 

"  For  over  three  years  I  had  planned  to  com- 
pete for  the  Hay  Prize,  given  each  year  to  the 
Senior  who  writes  the  best  essay  on  some  topic 
connected  with  American  citizenship.  I  thought 
winning  such  a  prize  would  probably  please  you, 
for  it  is  a  considerable  honor.  It  is  announced 
at  Commencement  and  printed  in  the  catalogue. 
In  the  Library  I  learned  that  only  two  days  and 
three  nights  remained  before  the  essay  should 
be  handed  in.  There  came  a  fierce  determination 
to  make  the  desperate  attempt.  I  selected  the 
best  of  the  available  topics :  '  The  Influence  of 
the  Reconstruction  Policy  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
upon  the  Subsequent  Reconstruction  Policy  of 
the  Southern  States.'  Never  in  my  life  have  I 
done  so  big  a  piece  of  work  at  one  sitting.  I 
began  to  typewrite  the  essay  in  the  early  dawn 
of  the  third  day.  After  the  essay  was  handed 
in  to  Professor  Chapin  I  heaved  a  sigh  of  relief 
and  turned  to  my  other  work.  The  examinations 
were  now  coming  on.  At  last  I  finished  my  work 
satisfactorily  and  went  off  with  my  class  for  a 
lark  and  a  rest.  We  had  a  wholesome,  jolly  kind 
of  a  time  together,  and  came  back  sunburned  and 
happy.  Altogether  Class  day  was  a  pretty 
strenuous  day  for  me  and  I  heaved  a  long  sigh 
when  the  last  enthusiastic  burst  of  applause  had 
died  away.  The  next  morning  I  went  to  Com- 
mencement and  found  the  exercises  rather  tedi- 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     61 

cms  except  what  concerned  me.  I  drew  a  sheep- 
skin tied  in  gold  and  labeled  cum  laude.  Tak- 
ing it  all  in  all  I  was  satisfied.  After  the  Acting- 
president's  farewell,  we  took  our  front  seats  for 
the  announcements.  Dr.  Collie  read  from  his 
lists,  '  The  Hay  Prize  of  $35,  for  the  best  essay 
upon  a  topic  connected  with  American  citizen- 
ship, is  awarded  to  Mr.  Henry  D.  Smith,  of 
Pang  Chuang,  China.'  I  gulped  hard  and  looked 
unconcerned,  while  my  chum  squoze  my  arm. 
My  rival  had  drawn  the  other  prize,  which  he 
sought,  and  we  both  were  happy.  Ten  minutes 
later  a  messenger  boy  handed  me  a  telegram,  as 
I  walked  in  with  my  class  to  the  corporation 

dinner. 

"  Forest  Grove,  Oregon. 

"  You  were  elected  instructor  last  night.  Will  write 
to-morrow. 

"  WM.  N.  FERRIN,  DEAN." 

"  My  three  wishes  had  come  true.  I  had  my 
diploma,  my  prize,  and  my  position.  The  four 
years  of  hard  struggle  and  bitter  disappoint- 
ments were  over. 

*  The  corporation  dinner  is  the  last  ceremony 
of  Commencement  week.  It  was  a  swell  affair 
and  I  enjoyed  it  to  the  full  and  went  out  feeling 
older,  for  college  life  was  ended  and  real  life 
had  commenced."  (September  11,  1902.) 

"  The  last  afternoon  at  Beloit  I  called  and 


62      HENRY  DICKINSON   SMITH 

said  good-bye  to  my  friends.  Aunt  M.  cried  and 
her  father  wished  me  well.     Mrs.  Chapin  and 
Miss  Chapin  and  Mrs.  F.  gave  me  their  best 
wishes.     Aunt  Bessie  wished  me  in  Chinese  '  I 
Lu  Ping  An ' ;  parting  with  Uncle  Harry  was 
very  sad.    He  spoke  of  your  long  friendship  and 
of  the  blessing  of  such  love  and  almost  broke 
down  when  it  came  to  say  good-by.    My  heart 
was  heavy  as  I  left  him,  for  we  may  never  meet 
again  on  earth.     My  most  solemn  farewell  was 
to  the  college  library,  silent  and  deserted  now. 
One  spot  in  it  is  forever  sacred  to  me.    Professor 
Bacon's  wheel-chair  used  to  stand  there  and  he 
used  to  work  there  every  day.     For  three  years 
I   watched  him  work  there;   for  two   years   I 
worked  and  studied  with  him ;  for  one  year  I  was 
his  right  hand-man,  and  after  he  had  gone  '  Over 
there/  I  still  worked  on  that  spot.    There  I  had 
vowed  to  beat  Ripon,  if  it  were  possible  to  over- 
come such  odds  as  we  Freshmen  fought  against 
that  year,  and  to  that  spot  I  returned  forlorn 
and  comfortless  to  gather  fresh  resolve.    On  that 
spot  I  had  vowed,  as  a  Junior,  to  defeat  Knox, 
if  it  could  be  done.    Here  Professor  Bacon  had 
bidden  me  godspeed  with  his  firm  warm  hand- 
clasp   and   his   cheery  voice,    *  God   bless   you, 
Henry,  go  in  and  do  your  very  best.'    Two  days 
later,  when  I  returned  beaten,  but  not  conquered, 
his  earnest,  vibrant  voice  greeted  me  with,  '  Well, 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     63 

Henry,  there  are  three  hundred  and  sixty-three 
days  to  the  next  Knox  debate.'  His  indomitable 
courage  was  contagious.  On  this  very  spot  I  had 
solemnly  sworn  that  I  would  fight  one  more  bat- 
tle to  the  very  end,  and  to  this  place  I  had  re- 
turned after  the  bonfire  had  burned  out  and  the 
shouts  had  died  away,  and  the  crowd  had  gone 
home,  the  night  of  the  Knox  debate,  to  thank 
God  for  my  first  victory.  On  this  same  spot  I 
lingered  in  farewell.  The  finest  students  I  had 
ever  known  had  worked  here  and  grown  under 
Professor  Bacon's  care  into  splendid  men.  The 
place  was  consecrated  by  his  heroic  life  and 
death. 

"  O  God,  to  us  may  grace  be  given 
To  follow  in  their  train." 

I  thought  a  moment  and  prayed  on  that  spot. 
No  place  has  ever  been  associated,  for  me,  with 
so  much  of  the  strenuous  endeavor  and  purpose- 
ful resolve."  (September  11,  1902.) 

INSTRUCTORSHIP  AT  PACIFIC  UNI- 
VERSITY 

On  leaving  Beloit  Henry  hastened  West,  to 
spend  a  short  time  with  his  Grandmother  Dickin- 
son and  his  aunt  Mrs.  Merritt,  at  Tacoma,  be- 
fore entering  upon  the  school  year  at  Forest 
Grove.  It  was  four  years  since  he  had  left,  to 
pass  his  college  years. 


64      HENRY  DICKINSON    SMITH 

We  have  his  own  full  record  of  the  new  ex- 
perience as  instructor:  "  Forest  Grove,  Oregon. 
I  don't  know  how  many  aeons  it  is  since  I  wrote 
last,  so  I  shall  have  to  go  back  to  the  beginning. 
I  think  I  told  you  of  my  playing  football  last 
term  with  the  boys  here.  The  idea  was  suggested 
by  some  of  the  faculty,  and  I  hesitated  for  some 
time.  But  the  precedent  had  been  set  for  me  by 
my  predecessor,  Mr.  Lyman,  and  not  without 
some  good  reason.  I  wanted  to  have  as  strong 
an  influence  as  possible  for  good,  so  set  to  work 
to  get  in  touch  with  all  classes  of  students,  if 
possible.  The  athletes  besought  me  to  come  and 
play,  the  coach  implored  me  to  help  him  out,  and 
the  faculty  advised  me  to  do  so.  I  helped  coach 
the  team  throughout  the  season. 

"  I  showed  them  how  football  is  played  at 
Beloit;  my  experience  there  last  year  was  worth 
a  lot.  The  only  victory  that  we  won  was  the 
result  of  a  tackles-back  tandem  play  which  I  in- 
troduced from  Beloit  and  in  which  I  led  the  in- 
terference again  and  again,  as  we  used  to  do  at 
Beloit,  until  somehow  we  smashed  our  way  to 
victory.  I  was  abundantly  repaid,  for  the  foot- 
ball men  appreciated  my  sacrifices  and  I  gained 
a  hold  over  them  which  I  could  not  have  any 
other  way.  I  refused  the  first  invitations  to  at- 
tend the  faculty  meeting,  and  to  vote  and  act 
with  them,  but  a  third  invitation  came  in  the 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     65 

shape  of  an  unanimous  request  that  I  join  their 
number  and  share  the  responsibilities  and  burdens 
of  their  work.  They  treated  me  splendidly,  and 
have  passed  every  motion  that  I  have  made. 

"  A  chance  came  in  my  way  to  get  in  touch 
with  the  other  class  of  students,  the  girls.  My 
predecessor  was  elected  the  business  manager  of 
the  girl's  basket-ball  team  as  a  sort  of  joke.  He 
accepted,  but  never  did  anything.  This  year  the 
girls  came  to  me  to  know  if  I  would  help  them. 
They  elected  me  manager  and  I  set  to  work. 
There  was  no  place  to  play  and  they  were 
obliged  to  play  out  of  doors.  In  order  to  play 
basket-ball  girls  have  to  wear  a  gymnasium  cos- 
tume, that  is  sailor  blouses  and  bloomers  with 
knee  skirts.  Practicing  out  of  doors  would  at- 
tract a  crowd  and  was  hardly  creditable  to  an 
institution  with  such  a  history.  The  trustees, 
'  tumbled  '  and  hastily  raised  enough  to  fit  up  a 
large  room,  and  now  for  the  first  time  Pacific 
University  has  a  ladies'  '  gymnasium.'  The  result 
is  showing  right  now.  Pale,  delicate  girls,  who 
can  get  no  other  exercise  on  rainy  days,  come 
flushed  and  hungry  from  the  Gymnasium.  The 
girls'  team  from  the  Academy  here  is  to  play  a 
game  with  the  team  from  St.  Helen's  Hall  in 
Portland. 

:<  I  have  tried  at  all  times  to  co-operate  with 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  here  and  often  go  to  their  meet- 


66      HENRY  DICKINSON   SMITH 

ings.  I  joined  the  C.  E.  Society,  and  am  teach- 
ing a  class  in  the  S.  S.  On  Sunday,  December 
21,  I  filled  the  Congregational  pulpit  and  was 
favored  with  a  large  audience.  I  spoke  on  mis- 
sionary work  in  China,  and  some  weeks  later  ad- 
dressed a  joint  meeting  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and 
Y.  W.  C.  A.,  describing  some  helps  and  hin- 
drances to  mission  work  in  China.  I  am  an  hon- 
orary member  of  the  boys'  debating  societies. 
It  seems  to  be  the  only  way  in  which  one  can  do 
young  people  much  good,  that  of  entering  into 
close  and  friendly  relations  with  them. 

'  Within  a  month  I  have  been  obliged  to  re- 
fuse calls  to  preach,  but  have  accepted  two  calls 
to  speak  on  China.  I  shall  continue  to  accept 
these  missionary  calls  as  long  as  I  can.  Oratory 
and  debating  are  the  chief  interest  in  the  school 
just  now  and  I  am  bending  all  my  energy  to 
bring  to  the  institution  such  success  as  it  has  not 
had  before.  Lyman  worked  up  some  good  men, 
and  I  am  trying  to  bring  out  every  man  who  has 
any  oratorical  possibilities  in  him.  This  week  the 
Home  Oratorical  contest  takes  place  and  a 
month  later  the  State  Oratorical  at  Eugene.  For 
the  Home  contest  eight  men  are  working  furi- 
ously, rehearsing  with  me  every  day,  which  takes 
five  and  six  hours,  in  addition  to  regular  duties. 
We  have  two  intercollegiate  debates,  one  with 
the  University  of  Oregon,  which  is  the  strongest 


HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH     67 

debating  school  in  this  part  of  the  United  States. 
All  the  hard  work  I  did  at  Beloit  last  year  coach- 
ing two  winning  teams  comes  in  handy  now." 
(Februarys,  1903.) 

"  I  don't  think  my  moral  and  religious  in- 
fluence has  been  as  strong  and  steady  as  I  meant 
it  to  be.  During  the  busiest  part  of  the  winter 
I  drifted  away  somewhat  spiritually  and  have 
not  quite  got  back  yet.  Somehow  the  terrific 
strain  of  overwork  always  breaks  down  my  good 
resolutions  and  I  neglect  the  deepest  things  of 
life  to  accomplish  my  immediate  aim.  But  after 
the  aim  is  secured  I  find  I  have  lost  something 
not  easily  regained.  This  year  my  eyes  have 
been  opened  to  this  danger  and  remedy  and  next 
year  I  hope  to  avoid  it. 

"  Aunt  Marie  writes  me  that  grandma  has  had 
another  serious  attack  but  has  rallied  well.  When 
school  is  out  I  expect  to  accept  their  urgent  invi- 
tation to  visit  them  for  a  while.  Later  in  the 
summer  I  shall  go  to  Oakland  and  San  Fran- 
cisco." (May  21,  1903.) 

"  I  had  a  rather  exciting  time  making  connec- 
tions in  Portland,  as  I  missed  the  train  for  Forest 
Grove  by  a  few  seconds  and  had  to  make  a  mad 
dash  for  it  in  a  cab.  We  overtook  it  in  a  mile 
and  a  half,  as  it  runs  slowly  through  the  town. 
It  was  just  beginning  to  go  fast  when  I  jumped 
from  the  step  of  the  cab  to  the  last  car  and  threw 


68      HENRY  DICKINSON   SMITH 

the  cabman  his  fare.  The  evening  train  would 
have  made  me  too  late  to  vote  in  Forest  Grove. 
I  voted  for  the  first  time,  casting  my  vote  for  no 
license.  The  town  went  '  dry.' 

"  I  think  I  told  you  how  I  came  back  175 
miles  from  Tacoma  to  vote  in  the  election  and 
cast  my  first  vote  under  the  local  option  law  for 
*  No  License.'  I  am  neither  a  Prohibitionist  nor 
a  teetotaler,  but  I  know  a  moral  issue  when  I 
see  one,  and  I  don't  believe  there  is  any  man  in 
Oregon  more  anxious  than  I  am  to  *  get  in  the 
game,'  when  a  hot  fight  is  raging  over  a  moral 
issue.  We  won  by  a  majority  of  forty-one." 
(July  14,  1903.) 

A  part  of  the  summer  vacation  was  spent,  as 
he  had  planned,  in  San  Francisco,  in  the  business 
of  his  cousin,  Mr.  Howard. 

Henry  was  as  eager  for  a  fight  in  business  as 
in  debating.  "  In  the  store,  good  fortune  began 
to  come  to  me  about  the  time  that  I  began  to  be 
rested  and  recuperated.  After  six  or  seven 
weeks  a  chance  came  to  me  to  do  some  work  in 
the  office.  I  have  always  wanted  to  work  in  the 
office.  I  did  not  know  anything  about  short- 
hand, so  missed  my  chance.  But  soon  after  there 
was  a  chance  for  me  to  do  a  little  work  in  San 
Francisco  as  a  drummer,  and  I  jumped  at  the 
chance.  It  was  a  hard  graft,  for  he  set  me  to 
introduce  a  new  line  of  hardware  in  a  field 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     69 

crowded  to  death  with  competition.  I  had  only 
a  few  days  to  work  before  going  North,  and  the 
old  spirit  of  dare-deviltry  from  college  days  came 
over  mej  and  I  went  into  it  with  more  enthu- 
siasm than  anything  that  I  had  had  a  chance  to 
do  this  year.  The  first  customer  upon  whom  I 
called  said :  *  Why,  there  was  a  man  around  here 
yesterday  trying  to  sell  a  lot  of  that  stuff.'  To 
which  I  responded  with  cheerful  recklessness,  '  I 
have  no  doubt  of  it.  There  will  probably  be  an- 
other to-morrow,  and  I'm  four  weeks  ahead  of 
the  man  who  will  be  here  a  month  from  now,  but 
we've  got  the  very  thing  you  want  and  at  the 
right  price.'  I  stayed  with  the  gentleman  more 
than  an  hour,  and  returned  with  an  order  for 
more  than  four  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  as- 
sorted hardware.  In  five  days  I  sold  little  less 
than  a  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  goods,  besides 
working  up  some  deals  of  which  the  harvest  will 
be  reaped  later.  It  was  lots  of  fun.  Besides  it 
is  most  excellent  experience.  I  left  Oakland 
September  12,  having  stayed  two  weeks  longer 
than  I  had  planned."  (October  7,  1903.) 

The  new  term  opened  at  Forest  Grove  and 
Henry  entered  upon  the  work  with  renewed 
eagerness.  His  letters  reflect  it:  "I  began  my 
new  course  in  '  Vocal  Expression  and  Delivery ' 
in  which  I  am  trying  to  give  the  students  here 
what  I  got  in  my  post-graduate  work  in  Chicago 


70     HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

University.  This  last  course  has  proved  very 
popular.  I  intended  it  only  for  the  select  few, 
out  of  whom  I  hope  to  be  able  to  make  orators 
and  debaters  who  will  win  this  year's  contest  in 
public  speaking,  but  a  whole  raft  of  people 
wanted  to  take  the  course.  No  such  course  is 
offered  at  Beloit,  but  if  there  had  been  any  such 
thing  it  might  have  saved  me  from  some  of  the 
bitterest  experiences  of  my  life.  Two  of  the 
twelve  pupils  are  ladies  who  expect  to  teach  elo- 
cution, and  one  of  them  is  doing  special  work 
with  me  fitting  herself  to  go  to  the  Emerson 
School  of  Oratory,  in  Boston,  for  a  two  years' 
course.  I  do  not  play  football  this  year,  but  help 
coach  the  boys  at  their  request.  I  am  coaching 
the  second  team.  Of  course  I  am  under  no  obli- 
gation to  do  this,  but  I  like  it  and  need  the  exer- 
cise. The  students  appreciate  the  help.  I  go  to 
the  meetings  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  to  help  them 
out,  as  it  is  rather  small  and  needs  all  the  help 
it  can  get.  I  believe  strongly  in  college  associa- 
tions ever  since  the  one  at  Beloit  straightened  me 
out." 

In  a,  December  letter  Henry  wrote  more  inti- 
mately of  his  inner  life:  "  Dear  Pater:  I  want 
to  talk  to  you  a  little.  I  wrote  to  mother  from 
Tacoma,  so  you  know  of  our  Thanksgiving 
there.*  It  was  a  blessing  to  me,  as  it  always  is, 

*  Henry's     maternal     grandmother     had     one     granddaughter, 
largely  brought  up  by  herself,  who  filled  her  heart.     When  this 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     71 

to  get  away  from  here  and  to  be  with  them  (his 
relatives)  for  a  little.  When  I  got  back  here, 
everybody  was  plunged  into  the  midst  of  prep- 
arations to  entertain  a  large  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
convention.  The  convention  was  a  tremendous 
success  in  every  way  in  numbers  and  interest. 
It  was  said  to  be  one  of  the  best  ever  held 
in  Oregon.  Before  it  was  over  a  number  of 
young  men,  including  several  from  Pacific 
University,  had  made  a  start  in  the  Christian 
life.  It  brought  a  great  blessing  to  this  col- 
dear  one's  marriage  removed  her  the  width  of  the  continent  it 
left  an  aching  void.  Just  at  this  time  the  providence  of  God 
sent  the  only  living  grandson  to  the  Pacific  coast  to  live,  where 
he  could  spend  his  vacations  with  her.  Into  the  dear  grand- 
motherly heart,  that  never  grew  old,  nestled  this  strong,  eager 
personality,  loving  her  back  in  full  measure  and  partly  filling 
the  vacant  spot. 

As  each  vacation  came  they  sent  a  joint  letter  to  China,  which 
was  grandma's  great  delight.    It  was  scientific  division  of  labor. 
Grandma  on  her  bed  dictated  half  the  ideas   and   Henry  half. 
He  did  the  writing  except  at  the  end.     The  words, 
"  Your  Loving  mother 
"  and  son, 

"L.   S.   DICKINSON, 

"H.  D.  SMITH"; 

used  to  fade  away  in  the  midst  of  tears  for  the  reader,  as  the 
first  became  fainter  and  more  tremulous  and  finally  ceased  to 
appear.  It  was  good  for  Henry  to  sit  by  the  bed  and  learn 
to  be  quiet  and  tender  and  gentle,  and  he  brought  much  ozone 
into  the  sick  room  with  him  for  her.  How  little  we  thought 
that  after  a  little  parting,  grandmother  and  Henry  could  go 
right  on  where  they  had  left  off  in  that  little  room  in  Tacoma. 
Grandma  had  said,  "  How  I  wish  that  boy  Henry  would  stay 
here  all  the  time,  since  he  adds  greatly  to  our  happiness." 


72     HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

lege  and  helped  everybody  immensely.  I  know 
it  did  a  world  of  good  to  me.  For  months 
I  had  been  drifting.  You  know  how  it  started. 
For  a  long  time,  I  had  known  that  I  was  sliding 
along  a  dangerous  way,  but  it  seemed  that  I 
could  not  stop.  This  convention  gave  me  the 
needed  impetus  and  although  my  worst  problems 
are  not  solved,  I  know  that  I  am  trying  to  do 
what  is  right. 

"  It  was  eight  months  since  I  had  received  a 
call  to  preach  or  speak  anywhere  on  Sunday,  but 
within  five  days  after  the  convention  and  after 
I  had  resolved  to  begin  again,  I  received  a  hurry 
call  to  preach  twice  on  a  Sunday,  in  a  neighbor- 
ing town.  I  try  to  leave  no  duty  undone — '  What- 
soever thy  hand  findeth  to  do'; — and  I  have 
wonderful  joy  since  that  convention.  It  struck 
me  as  being  a  remarkable  coincidence — perhaps 
mother  would  call  it  something  else.  I  had  never 
before  attempted  to  speak  twice  on  Sunday,  nor 
to  conduct  an  entire  service  anywhere,  to  say 
nothing  of  two  of  them  in  the  same  place.  But 
I  never  yet  refused  any  such  call  when  I  could 
possibly  accept  it,  so  I  went.  I  was  extremely 
busy  and  had  almost  no  time  to  prepare,  about 
four  or  five  hours  for  my  morning  sermon,  more 
for  the  evening.  Never  have  I  felt  more  de- 
pendent upon  a  kind  Providence  for  help  or  more 
conscious  of  receiving  help  and  ideas  when  I 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     73 

needed  them.  I  preached  from  Matthew  xi.  2,  3,* 
explaining  what  I  thought  it  meant  and  should 
mean  to  each  one  of  us.  In  the  evening  I  talked 
about  China,  giving  them  the  same  address  that 
I  used  last  winter.  I  found  the  conducting  of 
two  such  services  no  small  strain  upon  one's 
strength  and  nerve,  and  am  a  little  doubtful 
about  accepting  any  more  such  calls,  but  perhaps 
I  had  better  not  cross  the  river  before  coming 
to  it.  The  people  were  very  appreciative  and 
want  me  to  come  again." 

In  the  spring  of  1904,  Henry's  cousin  in  San 
Francisco  renewed  offers  to  him  to  join  him  in 
business.  The  inducements  were  attractive.  His 
estimate  of  them  appears  in  the  following  letter: 

"  Spiritually  I  am  not  fitted  for  the  ministry 
and  doubt  whether  I  was  ever  created  for  that 
calling  or  any  other  like  it.  I  don't  believe  any 
man  is  ever  called  to  be  a  round  peg  in  a  square 
hole.  And  yet  I  am  by  no  means  prepared  to 
say  that  I  have  chosen  once  for  all.  And  I 
know  that  to  go  into  business  with  N.  would 
practically  be  to  choose  before  I  am  ready.  For 
I  know  that  I  could  make  a  success  of  business: 
I  like  it,  I  do  not  take  a  sordid  view  of  it,  as  I 
believe  you  think  I  do.  I  am  pretty  sure  that  if 
I  should  go  into  business  for  a  year  or  two  it 
would  be  next  to  impossible  for  me  to  get  out. 

*  Art  thou  he  that  cometh,  or  look  we  for  another? 


74     HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

Now  the  offers  which  he  has  made  me  are  in 
some  respects  the  best  and  the  most  attractive 
which  were  ever  held  out  to  me;  the  position 
would  be  almost  ideal  from  my  point  of  view, 
and  the  inducements  far  beyond  anything  I  had 
dreamed  of  in  my  most  enthusiastic  moments, 
amounting  to  making  me  a  partner  in  the  firm 
to  a  certain  extent.  The  work  would  be  pleas- 
ant,, the  surroundings  congenial,  and  yet 

Well,  I  have  not  accepted. 

"  I  chanced  to  mention  this  uncertainty  of 
mind  in  a  letter  I  wrote  to  President  Eaton, 
trying  to  get  a  scholarship  for  one  of  the  stu- 
dents here  who  wants  to  go  to  Beloit.  By  return 
mail  I  received  a  call  to  Beloit,  which  I  enclose, 
together  with  various  and  sundry  documents  in- 
cluding comments  from  people  interested.  I  had 
done  nothing  whatever  to  fish  for  that  call,  al- 
though of  course  I  regarded  it  as  a  very  high 
honor  and  was  tickled  to  death  to  receive  it. 
There  is  no  man  in  this  country  that  I  would 
rather  work  with,  and  no  institution  that  I  would 
rather  serve  than  Beloit.  Accepting  the  call 
would  not  pledge  me  to  remain  there  more  than 
a  year.  Only  two  men  have  held  the  place  before. 
One,  Professor  Holden,  is  now  President  of 
Wooster  University,  Ohio.  The  other,  Mr. 
Vogt,  is  now  General  Secretary  of  the  United 
Society  of  Christian  Endeavor.  The  place  and 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     75 

the  work  might  lead  me  straight  into  the  minis- 
try.   I  can  see  how  filling  the  pulpits  of  different 
churches  every  Sunday  might  have  that  effect." 
(June  3,  1904.) 
President  Eaton's  letter: 

BELOIT,  Wis.,  February  4,  1904. 

"  MY  DEAR  HENRY: — Your  letter  I  have  read  with 
great  interest  and  satisfaction.  I  am  glad  you  are  so 
deeply  engrossed  in  your  present  work,  and  am  still  more 
glad  that  the  work  which  I  have  suggested  to  you,  for 
your  Alma  Mater  makes  the  appeal  it  does  to  you,  and 
from  the  motives  which  weigh  most  with  you.  Your  letter 
increases  my  conviction  that  you  will  find  in  the  work  pro- 
posed a  sphere  for  your  best  energies,  in  which  you  would 
accomplish  great  good  and  at  the  same  time  grow  steadily. 

"  Suppose  you  were  to  inspire  twenty  young  men  a  year, 
who  otherwise  would  not  be  reached,  with  the  motives  lead- 
ing to  an  education,  for  a  career  of  positive  usefulness, 
and  that  you  should  repeat  this  every  year  for  five  years, 
which  is  not  at  all  an  improbable  supposition.  What 
would  it  mean  to  have  a  hundred  lives  parallel  to  your 
own,  working  through  your  lifetime,  all  contributing  to  the 
world's  uplift,  through  the  impulse  you  had  given  them! 
How  profoundly  inspiring  the  thought  is!  It  only  sug- 
gests how  distinctly  the  sphere  into  which  we  call  you  is 
one  where  every  day's  work  has  large  issues,  many  of 
which  can  be  measured  and  estimated  far  more  than  is 
the  case  with  ordinary  service.  What  you  say  about  the 
business  positions  offered  you  interests  me  much,  as  indi- 
cating the  justice  of  my  thought  in  believing  that  you 
would  have  good  access  to  business  men  and  could  in- 
fluence them  strongly  toward  an  interest  in  Christian  edu- 


76     HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

cation.  The  great  importance  of  this  can  hardly  be  esti- 
mated. To  help  gather  about  the  college  a  body  of 
intelligent  men  of  means  will  assure  its  development  for 
the  future  in  these  material  interests  which  are  so  essen- 
tial to  its  large  usefulness.  Personally  I  look  forward  with 
keen  satisfaction  to  having  you  associated  with  me  in  this 
arduous  but  delightful  work.  We  know  each  other 
thoroughly  and  we  know  we  could  co-operate  so  that  each 
should  strengthen  the  other.  As  I  think  I  said  before, 
I  know  no  other  of  our  younger  alumni  who  would,  I 
think,  be  so  personally  helpful  and  effective  as  yourself. 
I  have  laid  the  matter  before  the  committee  of  the  trus- 
tees of  the  college  by  whom  this  matter  is  entrusted  to 
me.  Mr.  E.  and  Mr.  P.  both  agree  with  me  in  the  desire 
that  you  enter  upon  this  work.  As  you  are  the  man  we 
want  and  as  you  cannot  come  to  us  until  August,  there  is 
no  necessity  of  our  hurrying  you  to  a  decision  before  you 
can  have  your  father's  thought. 

"  With  cordial  regards, 

"  EDWARD   D.   EATON." 

The  decision  was  made  in  favor  of  Beloit. 

The  intimation  that  Henry  was  given  to  over- 
work had  evidently  reached  his  parents  and  they 
had  wisely  given  him,  as  other  friends  had  also, 
some  good  advice  on  that  subject.  As  always  he 
was  fond  of  "  rebuttal." 

"  I  think  you  exaggerate  my  tendency  to  over- 
work. I  am  tired,  but  in  no  danger  of  nervous 
breakdown.  I  have  learned  some  things  by  ex- 
perience and  am  more  sane  than  you  think.  I 
work  hard  from  morning  to  night  and  shall 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     77 

stoutly  defend  my  right  to  do  so.  '  Idleness  is  the 
American  Hell/  Of  course  I  work  hard.  I 
think  the  results  justify  me.  The  football  team 
tied  with  the  best  in  the  State.  The  orator  whom 
I  trained  won  the  State  oratorical  contest.  Our 
debating  team  went  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
and  whipped  the  State  University  on  their  own 
grounds.  When  I  came  the  college  loyalty  was 
low,  athletics  and  debating  were  in  a  most  dis- 
couraging condition.  This  year  we  have  won 
everything.  Of  one  thing  I  am  sure:  If  I  ever 
make  a  success  of  anything  in  life,  it  will  not  be 
through  talent  or  inspiration,  but  through  hard 
work.  I  never  expect  to  do  less  than  the  very 
best  I  can.  Of  course  I  don't  intend  to  kill  my- 
self with  overwork.  As  my  judgment  matures 
I  hope  to  avoid  setting  my  heart  on  impossible 
things,  and  thus  stave  off  an  early  death.  I 
think  I  said  that  my  tendency  is  easily  explained, 
since  I  inherited  all  your  energy  and  all  my 
mother's  as  well.  Just  now  we  are  hard  at  work 
preparing  for  commencement.  I  have  to  pre- 
pare twelve  speakers  to  appear  in  public.  In- 
cidentally I  might  mention  that  I  am  to  sing  in 
one  of  the  closing  recitals  of  the  Conservatory  of 
Music.  You  know  I  have  been  taking  vocal  les- 
sons ever  since  I  came  here,  two  a  week.  Next 
year  I  intend  to  take  lessons  at  Beloit  if  I  can. 
Music  has  cost  me  $180  this  year.  It  has  been 


78     HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

worth  it,  and  more  a  great  deal  than  I  could  pay. 
I  only  wish  I  had  started  earlier.  For  the  last 
few  days  we  have  been  working  hard  on  a  com- 
mittee which  is  rustling  up  a  delegation  to  rep- 
resent Pacific  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  Gearhart. 
This  corresponds  with  the  Geneva  Convention 
in  Wisconsin,  which  I  attended  in  1901-2.  Ever 
since  I  was  helped  so  much  there  I  have  done  all 
I  could  to  promote  such  things.  Last  year  we 
worked  hard  raising  money  and  getting  men  to 
go,  but  succeeded  in  sending  only  four.  This 
year  we  aimed  to  get  ten  men.  We  have  prayed 
earnestly  and  worked  hard.  For  the  last  week 
we  have  been  having  noon  prayer  meetings,  when 
the  committee  and  a  few  faithful  ones  have 
planned  and  talked  over  the  campaign.  I  have 
done  all  I  could  to  encourage  this  thing,  for  I 
know  what  it  means.  My  devotional  habits  are 
not  always  what  they  should  be,  but  I  am  very 
much  in  earnest  about  this  and  am  not  ashamed 
to  pray,  nor  afraid  to  fight  hard  for  something 
that  I  know  is  right. 

"  I  seldom  have  time  for  recreation,  but  last 
Saturday  I  went  with  a  crowd  of  college  boys 
and  girls  on  a  straw  ride.  I  went  as  one  of  the 
chaperones.  A  boy  who  had  come  in  a  road  cart, 
driving  a  black  colt*  in  the  afternoon  took  one  of 
the  girls  to  ride.  The  colt  got  scared,  ran  into 
a  chuck  hole,  tipped  the  cart  so  that  it  pitched 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     79 

the  girl  out.  I  saw  her  fall  and  ran  as  I  used  to 
run  with  the  football  when  I  had  a  clean  field 
for  a  touchdown.  Her  foot  caught  between  the 
spokes  and  was  dragged  up  to  the  shaft,  which 
would  certainly  have  broken  her  leg  in  another 
instant.  I  had  only  fifty  yards  to  go  and  reached 
her  just  barely  in  time  to  yank  her  out.  She  was 
shrieking  like  a  maniac  with  fear;  the  boy  white, 
but  determined,  gripping  the  lines  with  all  his 
might  to  steady  the  plunging  beast.  The  girl 
narrowly  escaped  a  terrible  accident,  for  she  went 
out  of  the  cart  headlong  and  might  have  been 
hurt,  and  the  colt  barely  missed  stepping  on  her. 
Never  in  my  life  have  I  been  more  thankful  for 
athletic  training.  Nothing  in  the  world  is  so 
good  as  football  to  teach  a  man  to  think  fast  and 
to  act  while  he  thinks.  I  am  planning  to  take 
back  to  Beloit  one  of  the  students  with  me.  He 
is  one  of  my  best  friends  here.  Last  year  he 
won  the  Home  contest  here.  Beloit  is  a  Christian 
college  and  he  needs  Christian  influences."  (May 
29,  1904.) 

Mrs.  Lucilla  Stanley  Gary  Dickinson,  Henry's 
maternal  grandmother,  died  at  Tacoma  in  June, 
1904.  She  had  passed  her  eightieth  birthday. 
Mrs.  Dickinson  was  a  woman  of  most  interesting 
personality.  The  Carys  were  Quakers  from  New 
Jersey.  They  had  all  the  quiet  and  sterling 
qualities  of  their  well-known  sect.  Some  of  us 


80     HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

remember  the  admirable  character  of  Dr.  George 
Cary  at  Beloit,  a  friend  of  multitudes  and  a 
wise  and  careful  physician.  Mrs.  Dickinson  was 
a  cousin  of  Dr.  George.  Lucilla  Cary  married 
Mr.  Ansel  Dickinson,  from  Amherst,  Mass.,  who 
on  account  of  ill  health  had  given  up  his  study 
for  the  ministry  and  with  a  brother  had  moved 
to  Mount  Zion,  a  few  miles  from  Janesville, 
Wis.,  in  1838.  Deacon  Dickinson  was  among 
the  men  who  formed  the  Congregational  Con- 
vention, in  Wisconsin,  fully  imbued  with  the 
spirit  of  church  union.  The  early  death  of  her 
husband  led  Mrs.  Dickinson  to  dispose  of  her 
farm  and  to  move  to  Beloit  to  educate  her  chil- 
dren. The  simple  happy  home  on  Church  Street, 
Beloit,  will  long  be  remembered  by  her  many 
friends.  Her  eldest  child  and  only  son  early  de- 
veloped mental  and  spiritual  qualities  of  the 
highest  merit.  It  was  natural  for  the  son  of  such 
a  mother  to  take  rank  as  a  student.  Through 
him  we  learned  something  of  the  mental  power 
of  the  mother,  sustained  and  exact.  Henry  Cary 
Dickinson,  for  whom  Henry  Smith  was  named, 
was  easily  the  first  man  in  his  college  class,  grad- 
uating as  valedictorian  in  1863.  After  teaching 
for  a  year  he  was  called  to  Beloit  as  Instructor 
in  Rhetoric.  His  pupils  remember  the  enthu- 
siasm and  exactness  of  his  scholarship,  and  the 
beauty  of  his  life.  The  ministry  attracted  him 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     81 

and  he  left  Beloit  for  Andover  Seminary  in  the 
autumn  of  1865.  He  graduated  from  the  Semi- 
nary with  very  high  rank  in  a  class  which  had 
such  men  as  Joseph  Cook,  Daniel  Merriman, 
John  Taylor  and  Ezra  Brainard,  one  of  the 
splendid  classes  of  old-time  Andover,  with  a 
membership  of  forty.  Mr.  Dickinson  accepted 
a  call  to  the  church  at  Appleton,  Wis.  His  brief 
ministry  was  distinguished.  In  noble  aspect  of 
countenance,  he  closely  resembled  Frederic 
Roberston.  And  his  friends  were  often  reminded 
of  mental  fellowship  with  the  rightly  distin- 
guished minister  of  Brighton,  England.  Mr. 
Dickinson  was  called  to  the  Professorship  of 
Church  History  at  Oberlin  Theological  Semi- 
nary. He  felt,  however,  that  his  avocation  was 
rather  that  of  preaching.  He  showed  remark- 
ably winning  powers  of  address  in  evangelical 
efforts  in  aid  of  Wisconsin  Churches.  One  such 
series  of  meetings  at  Beloit  will  be  long  remem- 
bered. The  depth  of  his  probing  of  the  human 
spirit  and  the  tender  richness  of  his  appeals  were 
most  effective.  Ill  health  caused  him  to  find  re- 
lief in  Colorado,  where  he  preached  in  Central 
City.  From  Colorado  he  came  home  to  die,  in 
March,  1873.  One  learns  something  of  the 
mother's  thought  and  life  from  such  a  son.  Mrs. 
Dickinson  spent  two  or  three  years  in  work  for 
the  American  Missionary  Society  in  the  South, 


82     HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH 

Mississippi  and  Texas,  before  removing  to  Cali- 
fornia. Later  her  elder  daughter's  home  was 
her  own  through  all  the  years  of  a  serene  and 
lovely  old  age.  A  brief  reference  is  made  to  this 
noble  woman  in  the  following  letter : 

TACOMA,  July  31,  1904. 

"DEAR  MAMMA:  Aunt  Jennie  and  I  have 
just  returned  from  the  cemetery.  The  grass  is 
green  and  thick  where  Grandma  lies,  and  the 
clover  blooms  and  the  little  birds  sing,  and  over 
all  that  peace  and  quiet  was  the  golden  glory  of 
the  setting  sun,  like  the  smile  of  the  dear  God 
above.  '  And  there  shall  be  no  more  death,  neither 
sorrow  nor  crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more 
pain/  By  her  grave  I  prayed  God  to  make  me 
worthy  of  the  good  women  that  have  been  dear 
to  me,  Grandmother,  and  mother,  and  sister  He 
gave  me.  And  to-night  I  go  to  the  new  life — 
Beloit — to  begin  again  and  try.  I  enclose  a  few 
little  flowers  from  Grandma's  grave.  They  will 
be  withered,  I  know,  when  they  reach  you,  but 
something  tells  me  they  will  be  dear  to  you.  And 
I  send  you  a  lock  of  her  hair,  the  only  one  that 
was  saved.  It  was  mine,  it  is  yours  now.  And 
I  love  you.  HENRY." 

LAUNCHING    A    GREATER    BELOIT 

Early  in  August,  1904,  after  an  absence  of 
two  years,  Henry  returned  to  Wisconsin  to  en- 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     83 

ter  upon  his  new  work,  as  General  Secretary  to 
the  President.  The  year  at  Beloit  was  full  of 
the  deepest  interest  to  him.  He  traveled  widely, 
visiting  high  schools  as  well  as  churches  in  the 
interest  of  the  College.  He  was  well  received 
wherever  he  went.  It  brought  him  into  imme- 
diate contact  with  the  young  people  who  were 
planning  further  study.  He  carried  forward  his 
work  with  happy  energy,  often  occupying  a  pul- 
pit on  Sunday  with  his  eager  theme:  "  Christian 
Education  for  Young  Men  and  Women."  The 
Rev.  Stanley  Lathrop  recalls  such  a  Sunday  at 
Ashland,  with  the  North  Wisconsin  Academy. 
His  address  had  a  freshness  and  fine  adaptation 
to  the  work  he  was  advancing.  He  was  acquir- 
ing a  masterful  way  of  presenting  the  claims  of 
college  life  and  its  value. 

Among  other  duties  assigned  him  was  that  of 
creating  an  interest  in  the  college  finances  among 
business  men.  His  discipline  in  business  made 
it  possible  for  him  now  to  meet  the  necessary 
rebuffs  with  a  calmer  spirit.  Of  this  side  of  his 
work  he  writes : 

"  Since  I  have  been  working  for  the  college  I 
have  put  in  most  of  my  time  and  energy  in  the 
effort  to  raise  money.  This  is  the  hardest  part 
of  the  work.  Everyone  dreads  it,  and  keeps  out 
of  it  as  far  as  possible.  It  has  some  advantages, 
for  it  brings  one  into  contact  with  the  biggest 


84     HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH 

men  in  business,  many  of  whom  have  built  up 
vast  fortunes,  and  many  of  them  men  of  the 
noblest  character.  Also,  like  any  other  ex- 
perience, if  taken  in  the  right  spirit,  it  may 
prove  a  means  of  grace.  I  have  had  some 
encouragements,  as  I  have  been  favorably  re- 
ceived by  many  noted  men,  a  number  of 
capitalists  and  financiers.  In  such  cases  I 
have  been  invited  to  come  again  in  three  or 
six  months.  There  are  over  400  charities  in 
Chicago,  all  of  them  soliciting  money  all  the 
time.  Half  a  dozen  other  colleges  have  a  strqnger 
hold  there  than  we  have.  Most  of  the  large  for- 
tunes are  in  the  cities  in  these  days,  and  there  is 
the  place  to  work.  I  value  material  success  per- 
haps more  than  I  should.  It  is  not  enough  for 
me  that  a  man  should  struggle  on  faithfully  and 
bravely — he  must  win.  Life  owes  me  that,  I 
will  take  no  less.  Time  and  again  I  have  been 
heartsick  and  downcast.  No  friend  could  help 
me.  Only  one  thing  could  console  me — Success. 
Of  course  there  is  another  side  to  it.  I  am  sow- 
ing seed  which  will  grow.  Others  may  harvest 
the  crop,  but  I  am  sowing  the  seed  far  and  wide 
in  the  best  soil  I  can  find. 

"  That  is  a  little  consolation,  but  not  much,  for 
the  future  is  extremely  uncertain  and  in  Chicago 
the  mortality  among  seeds  of  that  kind  is  exceed- 
ingly high."  (February  1,  1905.) 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     85 

It  was  most  natural  that  Henry  should  take 
once  more  a  very  deep  interest  in  the  College 
contests,  oratory,  and  debate. 

Vivid  descriptions  of  debating  work  are  re- 
peated: "In  March  the  Instructor  in  Public 
Speaking  was  drowned.  This  left  the  depart- 
ment in  bad  shape.  The  boys  asked  me  to  help 
them  by  coaching  the  three  teams  in  the  intercol- 
legiate debates.  That  is  the  one  thing  that  I  am 
most  interested  in,  and  more  sure  of  being  able 
to  do.  President  Eaton  cheerfully  assented  to 
my  spending  my  spare  time  in  such  work.  I 
worked  at  it  for  nearly  two  months.  Little  by 
little  things  began  to  look  better  until  it  ended  by 
being  the  most  successful  year  in  debating  that 
Beloit  has  ever  had.  We  won  all  three  of  the 
debates.  It  never  happened  but  once  before 
that  Beloit  has  won  three  debates  in  one  year. 
That  was  my  Senior  year.  There  have  been  hi- 
larious celebrations.  Beloit  has  been  quite 
stirred  up  and  enthusiastic.  This  year  in  the 
Knox  debate  all  three  of  the  judges  voted  for 
Beloit.  It  was  great  fun  for  me.  You  remem- 
ber I  had  some  old  scores  to  even  up  with  Knox 
in  regard  to  debating.  The  debate  took  place  in 
Galesburg  this  year  and  was  held  in  the  same 
church  in  which  we  spoke  in  1901.  That  year 
the  decision  was  unanimous  for  Knox.  This 
year  it  was  unanimous  for  Beloit.  The  Beloit 


86     HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

men  were  prepared  for  every  argument  advanced 
by  KnoXj  and  answered  each  one  with  lightning 
rapidity  and  terrific  force,  so  that  after  it  was 
over  the  Knox  men  cheerfully  admitted  that  they 
had  been  beaten.  I  got  a  heap  of  satisfaction 
out  of  that  verdict.  Another  of  our  teams  won 
in  a  debate  against  Carleton  College,  and  an- 
other won  against  Lake  Forest  University.  Al- 
together we  have  had  good  cause  for  congratu- 
lations. You  know  that  defeat  in  1901  nearly 
broke  my  heart,  but  it  gave  me  more  determi- 
nation than  I  had  ever  had  before.  Since  then  I 
have  never  been  defeated  in  debate.  Since  then 
I  have  led  one  team  and  coached  seven  others 
and  have  had  seven  consecutive  victories.  So 
this  seems  to  me  a  good  time  to  stop.  Yet  I  still 
have  a  vague  hope  that  somehow,  at  some  time  I 
may  have  time  and  opportunity  to  engage  in  one 
more  inter-collegiate  debate.  I  hope  before  I 
leave  Yale  I  may  have  a  chance  to  get  on  one  of 
the  teams  that  debate  against  either  Harvard  or 
Princeton. 

"  You  ask  me  what  I  am  doing  for  others. 
Not  much,  I  fear.  I  have  tried  to  help  in  the  C. 
E.  of  our  First  Congregational  Church.  The 
Society  has  had  a  very  prosperous  year  and  is  in 
a  very  prosperous  condition.  Sunday  night, 
May  7,  I  preached  in  the  darky  church  here.  It 
was  quite  an  experience  for  me.  I  gave  them 


HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH     87 

just  a  simple  gospel  talk  from  Matthew  xi,  11. 
I  am  reluctant  to  fill  any  but  a  very  small  or  very 
needy  church,  as  I  realize  that  I  am  a  youngster 
and  don't  know  anything  about  preaching." 
(May  14,  1905.) 

"  Last  night  at  a  banquet  in  honor  of  Beloit's 
victories  in  oratory  and  debate,  I  made  a  plea  for 
a  f  Greater  Beloit/  and  as  enthusiasm  was  high 
everyone  responded  well.  Next  day  in  Chapel  one 
hundred  and  fifty  students  signed  cards  promis- 
ing that  each  would  do  all  in  his  power  to  bring 
one  new  student  to  Beloit  next  fall.  President 
Eaton  feared  the  scheme  would  not  work,  so  I 
waited  till  he  went  East  and  got  it  up  in  his 
absence.  It  is  working  like  a  house  on  fire,  and 
I  am  sure  we  shall  succeed.  Thus  victory  some- 
times treads  upon  the  heels  of  defeat,  and  after 
I  am  gone  to  Yale,  the  Freshman  class  of  one 
hundred  may  enter  upon  the  wise  care  of  the 
President  who  doubted  if  it  could  be  done.  Kiss 
Pater  for  me."  (May  28,  1905.) 

The  plans  thus  laid  began  soon  to  advance  in 
the  line  of  reaching  high  school  pupils.  With  a 
clear  vision  he  directed  his  efforts  to  lay  a  founda- 
tion for  a  larger  college  life.  The  entering  class 
of  1904  had  risen  to  the  number  of  seventy-five. 
He  thought  that  by  suitable  effort  the  next 
year's  class  could  be  raised  to  one  hundred.  His 
correspondence  became  large  and  personal  soli- 


88     HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

citation  added  to  the  effect  of  his  urgency. 
During  the  summer  vacation  he  devised  several 
plans  for  advertising  and  promoting  his  plans. 
A  small  folder  booklet  was  prepared  under  the 
Title: 

"THE  REASONS  WHY. 

"  SOME    INTERESTING    FACTS    ABOUT    BELOIT    COL- 
LEGE." 

These  and  a  handsome  blotting  pad,  with  sug- 
gestive items  and  a  calendar  showing  the  date  of 
the  autumn  term  were  sent  out  in  large  numbers 
and  were  valuable  in  directing  interest  toward 
the  College.  Recent  successes  in  oratory  and  ath- 
letics gave  their  own  intimation.  A  special  ap- 
peal was  made  to  the  best  men  graduating  from 
the  high  schools  and  academies.  The  summer 
was  filled  full  with  the  new  work.  Henry  writes : 

"  I  have  not  had  time  this  summer  to  be  lone- 
some, for  I  have  been  tremendously  at  work  on 
our  campaign  for  new  students.  If  we  succeed 
in  getting  a  Freshman  class  of  one  hundred  it 
will  be  the  greatest  thing  that  ever  happened  to 
Beloit.  The  largest  class  so  far  numbers  eighty- 
one.  There  is  no  one  who  believes  we  can  get 
the  hundred.  I  am  firmly  convinced  that  we  are 
going  to  succeed  and  have  no  thought  of  failure. 
We  are  still  far  from  being  sure  of  success.  It 
is  blistering  hot  weather  and  everything  seems 
fearfully  discouraging.  Never  mind.  It  will  all 


•^•^s*"""1 


Oap*- 


<IWhat  other  Western  insti- 
tution can  show  such  a  combi- 
nation of  advantages  and  op- 
portunities? 

Beloit  is  RANKED  first 
of  all  the  Colleges  in  the  West 
because  it  IS  first  !^ — " 

SoSff?^^^* 

l^rf&Si 


111  nrt    AUU*"      , 

tfT.^*U*- 
fe^- 


one"  oTtsam'e'kmd"1"  ^"^  nR1I>i1^ 

HON.  ALBERT  J.  BEVERIDG] 
Lmtcd  Statti  Senator  from  Indiana,  in  Sal 
Evening  POM,  June  10,  190,. 

<I  You  will  find  just  such  men 
as  that  at  Beloit ! 


«P 


•BELOIT 

V  EL  O  I  T.     WlSCOftSIJ* 


"  My  advice  is 
this:  Go  to  col- 
lege. Go  to  the 
best  possible 
college  for  you. 
You  will  be 
better  prepared 


COLLEGi 


of  scholarship  of  an 

3.  Beloil  hi 
best  Library  am) 
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HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH     89 

be  over  before  you  get  this.    My  love  to  Pater." 
(August  6,  1905.) 

The  effort  to  secure  the  complement  of  men 
suggested  went  on  eagerly  until  the  very  day  of 
registration.  Writing  from  Rockland,  Mass.,  en 
route  to  New  Haven,  Henry  sums  up  the  effort 
and  its  climax. 

"  I  left  Beloit  early  Friday  morning.  College 
began  there  on  Wednesday.  I  had  kept  still  so 
industriously  all  summer  that  no  one  but  Presi- 
dent Eaton  knew  how  many  Freshman  we  were 
likely  to  have.  The  Freshmen  registered  on 
Wednesday  from  9-12.  President  Eaton  and  I 
kept  the  secret.  No  one  believed  it  possible  that 
we  should  get  one  hundred.  For  seven  years  the 
number  of  men  had  been  from  75-80.  As  the 
Freshmen  registered  I  slipped  the  enrollment 
cards  into  my  pocket,  refusing  to  allow  anyone 
to  see  or  count  them.  All  was  confusion  and 
bustle  so  that  no  one  could  even  estimate  or  count 
the  number  of  students  until  it  was  announced. 
After  the  address,  President  Eaton  announced 
the  total  number  of  Freshmen  registered  up  to  5 
p.  M. — one  hundred  and  twenty-six.  You  ought 
to  have  heard  that  crowd. 

'  That  night  on  the  campus  they  had  a  bonfire 
as  big  as  a  house  and  the  most  rousing  celebra- 
tion you  ever  saw.  There  really  was  some  good 
reason  for  their  enthusiasm,  for  no  college  west 


90     HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

of  Dartmouth  has  ever  done  anything  like  that 
before.  An  increase  of  fifty-five  per  cent,  in 
the  size  of  the  entering  class  is  good  enough  ex- 
cuse for  a  man  who  is  looking  for  something  to 
'  holler '  about,  and  Beloit's  students  are  about 
as  loyal  and  enthusiastic  as  they  make  them. 

"  It  took  me  all  day  to  settle  my  affairs  at 
Beloit,  say  good-bye  to  everybody,  and  pack  up. 
After  several  months  of  *  horrid  drug,'  my  *  nice 
jam '  had  come  all  at  once,  and  I  left  in  a  hurry, 
partly  for  fear  that  I  should  have  too  much." 
(September  24,  1905.) 

The  College  Round  Table  voiced  the  feeling 
of  the  student  body  over  the  success  secured.  In 
the  editorial  for  September  29,  headed  "  Greater 
Beloit,"  it  says: 

"  Hopes  for  the  Greater  Beliot  have  been 
fully  realized.  The  announcement  that  126  Fresh- 
men had  been  enrolled  up  to  that  time  was  a 
pleasing  surprise  to  everyone.  When  the  cam- 
paign was  started  last  May  it  was  hoped  to  en- 
ter a  class  of  one  hundred  this  fall.  The  fact 
that  this  mark  has  been  exceeded  by  almost 
thirty  per  cent,  is  due  in  part  to  the  hearty  co- 
operation of  the  student  body  and  faculty,  but 
most  of  all  the  untiring  efforts  of  Secretary 
Henry  D.  Smith,  who  has  spent  the  entire  sum- 
mer in  an  ever  active  campaign  for  new  students, 
and  his  splendid  success  is  a  source  of  gratifica- 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     91 

tion  to  every  student.  Not  only  has  an  immense 
amount  of  correspondence  been  carried  on  dur- 
ing the  summer,  but  by  personal  visits  to  many 
who  were  doubtful  he  has  persuaded  them  of 
the  merits  of  Beloit  and  has  succeeded  in  getting 
them  to  come  here.  Mr.  Smith  devised  a  novel 
scheme  last  spring  for  enlisting  the  student  body 
by  having  cards  given  out  among  the  students 
which  all  those  who  were  willing  to  use  what  in- 
fluence they  could  towards  getting  one  new 
Freshman  were  requested  to  sign.  Nearly  all 
responded,  and  these  were  kept  in  touch  through- 
out the  summer  with  the  progress  which  was  be- 
ing made,  by  letters  from  Mr.  Smith.  The  best 
wishes  of  the  college  community  go  with  him  into 
his  new  field  of  work  at  Yale  Divinity  School, 
where  he  will  continue  to  do  things  for  the 
Greater  Beloit  which  he  has  made  a  reality." 

One  of  the  members  of  the  entering  class 
writes:  "A  great  triumph  for  Henry  Smith. 
He  deserved  it."  Everyone  was  enthusiastic 
over  his  efforts.  In  the  Codex  of  that  autumn, 
Henry  writes  of  the  celebration  in  fitting  meas- 
ure: 

"THE    MAKING    OF    GREATER    BELOIT 

"  That  celebration  under  September  skies  is 
memorable  only  as  it  marks  the  beginning  of  a 
movement  destined  to  grow  and  triumph.  The 


92     HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

new  idea  is  really  as  old  as  the  college :  for  many 
years  the  trustees  and  alumni  have  felt  that  Beloit 
ought  to  have  more  students,  that  an  effort 
should  be  made  to  swell  the  number  of  young 
men  and  women  who  enjoy  the  privileges  and 
opportunities  of  college  life.  It  remained  for 
the  undergraduates  themselves  to  organize  and 
conduct  an  enthusiastic  campaign  for  new  stu- 
dents with  a  definite  view  in  aim.  The  campaign 
of  1905  centered  about  the  effort  to  secure  one 
hundred  Freshmen  in  the  class  of  1908.  To  all 
the  undertaking  seemed  a  large  one,  to  many  it 
seemed  utterly  imposible.  But  few  things  are 
impossible  when  the  old  Beloit  spirit  is  thoroughly 
aroused.  During  the  summer  many  a  student 
worked  with  untiring  zeal.  The  trustees  sup- 
plied without  stint  the  needed  funds  for  the 
campaign,  and  friends  of  the  College  who  could 
do  no  more  sent  ringing  messages  of  encourage- 
ment and  good  cheer.  The  plan  was  at  best 
merely  an  experiment,  a  theory,  and  many  a  mis- 
take was  made  and  many  an  opportunity  dis- 
covered too  late.  Yet  a  kindly  Providence 
seemed  to  favor  the  movement  from  the  first. 
From  the  Atlantic  coast  to  the  shores  of  the 
Pacific  new  students  began  to  send  inquiries  and 
applications  to  Beloit.  Before  the  sun  had  set 
upon  registration  day  a  great  victory  had  been 
won,  for  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  Freshmen 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     93 

had  been  enrolled.  Many  thoughtful  friends  of 
Beloit,  remembering  well  its  splendid  influence  in 
the  days  of  small  numbers,  have  asked  solicit- 
ously to  what  this  matter  may  grow.  It  should 
be  said  at  once  that  those  who  have  at  heart 
the  best  interests  of  Beloit  College  do  not  wish 
to  see  it  grow  into  a  great  university.  Nor  even 
into  a  college  so  large  that  the  advantages  which 
it  to-day  possesses  will  be  lost.  But  Beloit  may 
increase  its  present  enrollment  by  one  half  or 
more  without  losing  that  precious  individual  as- 
sociation of  each  student  with  his  fellow  students 
and  with  every  member  of  the  faculty,  which  is 
the  unique  advantage  of  the  small  college.  Many 
a  student  and  alumnus  must  work  faithfully  and 
loyally  before  Beloit  can  reach  her  numerical 
ideal;  many  a  strenuous  summer  campaign  is 
still  to  be  waged  before  that  victory  will  be 
won. 

:'  The  flames  of  the  bonfire  are  dying  down. 
The  students  turn  away  from  the  gay  celebration. 
In  each  heart  is  the  conviction  that  the  greatest 
glory  of  Beloit  is  in  the  future,  not  in  the  past. 
Men  may  come  and  do  their  work  and  pass  on, 
but  the  spirit  of  the  college  is  immortal.  In 
loyalty  and  reverence  for  the  traditions  of  the 
past,  with  pride  and  joy  in  the  glories  of  the 
present,  with  courage  and  enthusiasm  and  high 
resolve  for  the  future,  the  sons  and  daughters  of 


94     HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

our  Alma  Mater  will  press  forward  to  the  splen- 
did achievement — the  making  of  the  Greater 
Beloit." 

In  regard  to  the  same,  Dean  Collie  has  writ- 
ten :  "The  Greater  Beloit  will  come  in  the  future 
and  it  will  be  Henry  Smith's  credit  that  he  gave 
it  the  first  great  impulse  in  the  forward  direction. 
His  methods  of  advertising  the  college  were 
models  of  their  kind  and  will  set  a  standard  at 
Beloit  for  years  to  come." 

THE    LAST    YEAH 

The  year  at  Beloit  had  strengthened  Henry's 
plan  for  further  study.  He  hastened  from  the 
West  to  join  the  entering  class  at  Yale  Divinity 
School.  He  was  to  make  one  of  ten  men  from 
Beloit  in  the  school,  eager  to  complete  prepara- 
ton  for  a  life  of  service.  The  outlook  for  the 
young  theological  student  is  always  most  stimu- 
lating. The  modern  methods  of  Biblical  study 
along  historical  lines,  open  doors  hitherto  un- 
thought  of.  The  range  of  historical  and  theo- 
logical studies  widens  rapidly  and  the  technical 
student  finds  himself  all  at  once  in  contact  with 
the  great  problems  of  the  moral  and  spiritual 
life.  He  comes  into  touch  with  the  multitude  of 
thinkers,  exegetes,  dogmaticians,  philosophers, 
whose  problems  must  be  understood,  appreciated, 
and  directly  applied  to  the  work  of  practical  liv- 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     95 

ing,  moral  and  social.  Such  a  trained  mind  as 
that  of  Henry  Smith  seizes  upon  the  modern 
and  active  methods  of  research  with  delighted 
eagerness. 

In  the  letter  already  quoted  from  he  says:  "  I 
mean  to  settle  down  quietly  at  Yale,  live  simply, 
study  hard,  think  deeply,  pray  more,  worry  less, 
and  sympathize  always.  It  is  not  hard  for  me  to 
do  things,  it  is  very  hard  to  live  quietly  and  think 
deeply.  The  man  who  does  not  do  so  is  shallow." 

In  the  new-found  and  most  congenial  Univer- 
sity life  he  soon  found  himself  quite  at  home. 
His  interest  in  the  new  work  he  mentions  in  a 
brief  letter  to  the  Round  Table: 

'  We  have  found  Yale  simply  splendid.  One 
can't  help  being  enthusiastic  about  it.  The  Yale 
spirit  is  magnificent,  and  the  opportunities  tre- 
mendous. The  Beloit  delegation  are  trying  to 
give  an  account  of  themselves  here.  Three  of 
the  four  editors  of  the  Divinity  Quarterly  are 
Beloit  men  and  the  Divinity  choir  is  made  up  en- 
tirely of  Beloit  men.  The  work  is  mighty  hard 
here,  and  does  not  leave  much  time  for  fun." 

Rev.  Wilfrid  Rowell  writes  of  the  same  great 
interest:  "Beloit  men  find  in  Yale  Seminary  the 
place  they  need.  They  find  it  supplies  the  things 
that  the  collegiate  course  could  not  give.  They 
discover  here  a  goodly  fellowship,  a  thoroughly 
theological  and  practical  training,  and  an  inspir- 


96     HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

ation  for  the  greatest  work  in  the  world — the 
Christian  Ministry." 

Under  such  circumstances,  Henry  Smith 
found  place  for  some  of  his  exuberant  energies. 
We  find  him  as  an  assistant  writer  for  Professor 
Kent  in  the  preparation  of  his  Old  Testament 
Studies,  and  later  as  assistant  Editor  of  the  Yale 
Divinity  Quarterly. 

The  Beloit  Round  Table  for  December, 
1905,  was  issued  as  a  Yale  number.  The  ar- 
ticles were  furnished  by  the  Beloit  men  at  the 
Yale  Divinity  School,  full  of  Alma  Mater 
loyalty. 

Among  these  papers,  it  fell  to  Henry  to  write 
of  Yale  Athletics,  which  he  did  in  a  very  enthu- 
siastic article,  entitled:  "The  Yale-Princeton 
Football  Game."  A  few  paragraphs  will  show 
the  spirit  of  the  whole. 

"  To  a  Westerner  one  of  the  most  attractive 
features  of  Yale  life  is  the  intense  enthusiasm 
and  loyalty  of  the  students  and  alumni  for  their 
Alma  Mater.  A  new  student  feels  its  influence 
at  once  and  finds  it  getting  a  stronger  grip  upon 
him  as  months  and  years  pass.  This  spirit  ap- 
pears in  many  ways  and  places.  In  the  fall  the 
chief  interest  centers  about  the  football  games, 
and  it  is  there  that  the  greatest  demonstrations 
of  the  Yale  spirit  may  be  seen.  .  .  . 

"  After  the  game  the  Yale  brass  band  led  the 


HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH     97 

way  round  the  field,  followed  by  two  thousand 
Yale  men,  eight  or  ten  abreast,  arms  locked,  joy- 
ously dancing  the  serpentine.  Before  the  cheer- 
ing section  of  the  orange  and  black  they  pause 
to  give  a  long  cheer  for  Princeton's  men,  which 
is  heartily  returned.  One  side  is  happy,  and 
both  are  satisfied,  for  both  have  done  their  best, 
and  there  is  no  greater  victory  than  that.  As 
the  happy  throng  moves  homeward  one  cannot 
help  catching  a  little  of  the  Yale  spirit  from 
their  chorus: 

" '  In  after  years  should  trouble  rise 
To  cloud  the  blue  of  sunny  skies, 
How  bright  will  seem,  through  memory's  haze, 
The  happy,  golden,  bygone  days.' ' 

His  growing  interest  in  the  University  led 
almost  immediately  into  lines  with  which  he  was 
happily  familiar,  and  from  which  he  hoped  to 
add  to  the  worth  of  the  Divinity  department. 
This  letter  is  full  of  the  old  fighting  spirit : 

"  Recently  it  was  announced  that  a  series  of  in- 
ter-collegiate department  debates  would  be  held 
for  the  championship  of  the  University.  Some 
of  the  Seniors  have  persuaded  me  to  go  into  it. 
The  Divinity  School  has  never  yet  won  in  the 
championship,  and  the  men  in  other  departments 
consider  the  theologs  as  pretty  poor.  So  Teddy 
Lathrop  and  I  went  in  together  with  a  third  man 


98     HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

from  Iowa.  Our  debate  with  the  Law  School 
was  pretty  warm,  but  we  won  an  unanimous  ver- 
dict of  three  judges.  Next  Friday,  December  8, 
we  are  to  debate  against  the  Academics,  that  is, 
Yale  College.  If  we  win,  it  may  perhaps  bring 
some  credit  to  the  Divinity  School.  Each  mem- 
ber of  the  winning  team  will  receive  a  handsome 
silver  cup  appropriately  engraved.  Lucius 
laughs  at  my  debating  any  more — says  I  wish 
more  scalps  to  hang  at  my  belt.  But  I  don't  feel 
quite  like  that.  I  am  willing  to  do  some  extra 
work  if  it  will  give  Yale  men  more  respect  for 
the  Divinity  School.  So  we  are  out  to  win  if 
we  possibly  can."  (December  3,  1905.) 

The  end  of  the  first  term  in  the  Divinity 
School  found  Henry  among  the  recognized 
scholars  of  his  class.  Among  others,  he  gained 
an  Allis  Scholarship,  the  prize  given  to  each  man 
who  gained  the  second  grade  average. 

In  the  middle  of  January  of  this  year  (1906) 
Henry  had  the  delighted  privilege  of  welcoming 
his  father,  Rev.  Dr.  Arthur  Smith,  returning 
from  his  mission  work  in  China. 

Dr.  Smith  had  been  invited  by  his  Society,  The 
American  Board,  to  return  home,  and  aid  in  the 
effort  to  secure  a  million  of  dollars  as  a  Centen- 
nial Haystack  Memorial.  Dr.  Smith's  first  ad- 
dress in  the  United  States  was  in  the  Plymouth 
Church,  Brooklyn,  this  church  having  adopted 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH     99 

him  some  years  before  as  their  Missionary. 
Henry  met  his  father  in  New  York  the  day  be- 
fore that  address.  It  was  twelve  years  since  they 
had  seen  each  other. 

In  the  letter  which  follows  we  come  into  touch 
with  that  beautiful  family  life  which  no  decade 
of  separation  nor  earthly  change  can  diminish. 

"NEW  HAVEN,  January  30,  1906. 
MY  DEAR  MOTHER:  Of  course  you  will  want 
to  know  all  about  Pater's  arrival  and  our  meet- 
ing. He  has  told  you  of  his  triumphal  trip 
across  the  continent,  and  of  what  he  saw  and  did 
in  San  Francisco  and  Los  Angeles.  I  went  to 
New  York  Friday  night,  January  18,  and  met 
him  at  the  Grand  Central  depot.  I  should  have 
recognized  him  from  his  latest  photograph,  but 
my  own  memories  were  pretty  vague.  We  went 
right  up  to  my  room  at  the  hotel  to  talk  it  over 
and  then  Pater  said:  '  Come,  Honey  Bee,  let's 
have  a  prayer.'  '  Isn't  that  just  like  him? '  Of 
course  we  had  a  tremendous  lot  of  back  conversa- 
tion to  make  up,  and  I  don't  see  when  we  are 
ever  to  catch  up.  He  talks  about  250  words  to 
the  minute  and  I  do  the  same — that  makes  five 
hundred;  but  there  aren't  minutes  enough.  As 
I  had  not  been  in  New  York  for  twenty  years, 
I  did  not  know  anything  about  the  town.  But 
Pater  knows  the  place  pretty  well,  even  if  it  has 


100  HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

changed  a  good  deal  in  thirty-five  years.  We 
waltzed  around  town  at  a  great  rate,  called  at 
Revell's,  at  the  Presbyterian  headquarters,  where 
Pater  explained  some  things  about  the  massacre, 
lunched  with  Mr.  Beach,  and  did  no  end  of 
errands.  Pater  does  not  seem  to  have  lost  any 
of  his  energy.  In  the  evening  we  went  over  to 
Brooklyn.  Mrs.  Hillis  had  been  so  kind  as  to 
invite  me  to  spend  Sunday  too.  They  have  the 
most  delightful  home,  beautiful  pictures  and  art 
specimens  arranged  in  exquisite  taste.  Sunday 
morning  Pater  spoke  in  Henry  Ward  Beecher's 
pulpit,  and  I  sat  in  the  Beecher  pew  and  was 
much  impressed  with  the  historic  surroundings. 
Pater  spoke  in  the  morning  on  the  relations  be- 
tween the  East  and  the  West.  He  spoke  very 
rapidly,  but  it  was  very  interesting.  People  in 
the  gallery  leaned  over  listening  eagerly  to  every 
word.  After  the  service  nearly  the  whole  congre- 
gation remained  to  shake  hands  with  him.  The 
people  were  introduced  and  hustled  along,  but 
even  then  it  took  forty-two  minutes  for  the  line 
to  pass  him.  That  evening  he  spoke  of  the  work 
of  the  American  Board  in  China.  He  spoke 
more  slowly  and  made  a  tremendous  impression. 
Hundreds  of  people  stayed  to  shake  hands,  and 
so  he  held  another  soiree,  so  to  speak.  My  birth- 
day was  a  very  happy  one,  though  I  could  not  be 
with  Father.  I  found  on  my  desk  the  dearest 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   101 

little  picture  of  my  *  guardian  angel'  [his 
mother]  and  a  *  Chinese  Poor  Thing '  (Mrs.  Hu, 
a  Bible  woman).  It  was  the  sweetest  thing  you 
could  have  sent,  Mater,  and  I  almost  feel  as  if 
the  long  years  since  1897  were  bridged  at  one 
step.  It  is  as  natural  as  can  be  of  Mrs.  Hu, 
and  it  seemed  to  me  that  you  had  changed  just 
the  least  little  bit,  but  not  near  so  much  at  Pater. 

"  I  have  much  work  to  make  up.  I  have  de- 
cided to  try  for  a  place  on  the  Yale  debating 
team,  which  debates  against  Harvard  in  March. 
Of  the  75-100  men  who  compete  for  places, 
three  are  chosen.  The  competition  is  terrific. 
It  is  hard  work,  but  I  think  I  can  help  the 
Divinity  School  a  little.  Anyway  I  am  going  to 
try. 

"  Good-night,  Mater,  lots  of  love.  We  both 
pray  for  you  every  day.  As  ever, 

"  HENRY." 

The  delight  of  the  son  in  being  with  "  Pater  " 
once  more  was  matched  by  the  joy  of  the  father 
in  seeing  his  strong,  stalwart  son,  already  win- 
ning repute  for  energy  and  success  in  his  lines 
of  effort.  A  son  has  no  greater  joy  than  to 
measure  the  strength  of  his  father's  hold  upon 
men,  and  estimates  the  deep  esteem  of  vast 
numbers  .of  people  over  good  work  faithfully 
done.  One  of  the  fathers  of  the  Church,  a 


102   HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH 

layman  of  blessed  memory,  has  embalmed  such 
esteem  in  the  fine  sentence,  "There  is  an  elo- 
quence in  service."  There  could  be  no  greater 
joy  to  a  father  than  to  find  his  little  son  grown 
to  be  a  strong  man  among  men,  already  finding 
his  way  to  large  service. 

During  the  spring  Henry  and  his  father  were 
together  for  ten  separate  visits  a  few  days  at  a 
time,  entertained  by  kind  friends,  who  enjoyed 
their  happy,  social  intercourse.  Dr.  Smith  was 
several  times  with  Henry  in  New  Haven.  The 
last  of  their  days  together  were  spent  there, 
precious  days  made  merry  and  wise,  with  no 
shadow  of  the  coming  longer  separation.  God 
veils  our  joys  from  us  as  well  as  the  shadows 
which,  like  the  ocean  mists,  so  stealthily  steal 
upon  us. 

The  most  engrossing  external  matter  during 
the  spring  was  the  Yale-Harvard  debate,  open 
to  all  post-graduate  students.  As  a  competitor 
in  the  preliminaries,  his  previous  experience 
stood  him  in  good  stead,  and  he  won  the  leader- 
ship in  this  debate.  One  of  his  fellow  debaters 
was  a  Senior  in  the  Divinity  School,  and  the 
other  was  in  the  Law  Department.  His  pre- 
decessor at  Forest  Grove,  also  a  Beloit  man,  had 
led  the  Harvard  team  a  few  years  before  and  had 
won.  He  hoped  such  a  result  might  fall  to 
his  lot  also.  The  subject  for  debate  was  the 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   103 

"  Municipal  Ownership  of  Public  Utilities  in  the 
City  of  New  York."  Following  out  his  previous 
methods,  Henry  visited  New  York  and  called 
upon  Mr.  Belmont,  the  financial  head  of  the  New 
York  City  Railways,  thus  learning  from  head- 
quarters all  the  facts  and  figures  necessary  for 
the  debate.  The  debate  was  held  at  New  Haven 
in  March  of  1906.  Perhaps  to  no  other  debate 
did  Henry  give  so  much  time  and  labor.  He 
felt  the  need  of  the  most  elaborate  effort,  and 
as  leader  spared  himself  no  labor.  He  prepared 
briefs  for  himself  and  his  two  fellows,  and  spent 
many  hours  of  day  and  night  in  writing  and  re- 
writing the  essential  parts  of  the  arguments. 
Yale  was  not  the  winner  of  the  debate,  but  the 
debaters  won  fine  repute  for  their  splendid  effort. 
The  Congregationalist  of  April  7  had  a  para- 
graph regarding  it :  "  Rev.  Dr.  Arthur  H. 
Smith  has  a  son  in  Yale  Divinity  School  who 
represented  Yale  in  the  annual  debate  with  Har- 
vard last  week.  He  has  the  fluency  and  the 
brilliancy  of  his  father,  and  a  resourcefulness 
which  is  characteristic.  Set  in  this  debate  to  at- 
tack municipal  ownership  he  went  right  to  head- 
quarters— Messrs.  Belmont  and  Ryan — for  facts 
about  the  situation  in  New  York,  as  private  mo- 
nopolists see  it.  When  told  by  the  Yale  coach 
that  a  certain  line  of  arguments  advanced  by 
Yale  had  at  least  five  objections  filed  against  it, 


104   HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH 

young  Smith  said  there  were  at  least  twenty-five 
objections,  named  them,  and  then  turned  round 
and  rebutted  them." 

In  the  Alumni  Weekly  of  Yale  University 
is  given  a  complete  report  taken  verbatim  of  the 
various  speeches  of  both  negative  and  affirma- 
tive. It  says  of  Henry:  "  Mr.  Smith  won  com- 
mendation by  his  able  summing  up  of  argument." 
His  very  familiar  delivery  seems  to  have  slightly 
amazed  the  less  rapid-going  Easterners,  for  we 
find  the  editor  saying,  when  he  explains  the  in- 
completeness of  the  arguments  as  reported  in  his 
paper.  "  In  such  a  rebuttal  as  that  of  Smith  of 
Yale,  however,  whose  talk  was  more  rapid  fire 
than  is  heard  on  the  debating  or  any  other  plat- 
form, it  is  doubtless  true  that  here  and  there  a 
sentence  was  skipped."  One  of  his  dear  friends 
and  fellow  students  in  speaking  of  the  debate 
wrote:  "  It  was  simply  fascinating  to  hear  Henry 
in  his  swift  and  convincing  speech.  He  talked 
like  a  streak,  but  every  word  was  clear,  and  the 
movement  and  effectiveness  were  remarkable.  He 
has  a  rare  gift  in  being  able  to  say  vigorously 
what  he  knows,  and  to  think  so  cogently  on  his 
feet."  The  Rev.  Jason  Pierce,  the  other  Divinity 
student  on  this  Yale  Team,  now  a  Pastor  at  New 
Haven,  in  writing  for  the  Divinity  Quarterly  a 
year  later,  regarding  "Debate  at  New  Haven," 
said  of  Henry  Smith,  "  He  was  in  some  respects 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   105 

the  most  brilliant  man  whom  it  has  been  my  ex- 
perience to  have  met." 

A  letter  to  his  mother  gives  Henry's  own 
story  of  the  debate,  with  his  plans  for  the  sum- 
mer: 

"  DEAR  MOTHER  :  Pater  was  here  four  days 
last  week  and  will  be  here  three  days  this  week 
and  two  next.  He  has  been  whirled  around  so 
fast  that  he  has  only  made  flying  trips  here  be- 
fore, and  this  is  almost  the  first  real  visit  we  have 
had.  Even  now  we  are  both  too  busy  to  visit  as 
much  as  we  should  like  to. 

"  I  was  exceedingly  disappointed  at  the  out- 
come of  the  Yale-Harvard  debate.  I  have  asked 
Aunt  M.  to  send  you  the  clippings  about  it.  I 
got  acute  laryngitis  in  New  York  three  weeks 
before  the  debate,  and  lost  my  voice,  I  recovered 
my  voice  the  afternoon  of  the  day  of  the  debate, 
but  it  didn't  sound  much  like  mine  and  I  was 
pretty  shaky.  After  the  debate  I  had  an  attack 
which  laid  me  up  for  nearly  three  weeks.  I 
missed  nearly  all  my  classes  for  nearly  six  weeks. 
That  makes  a  mountain  of  work  to  make  up.  I 
cannot  say  the  prospect  is  cheerful.  I  think  I 
mentioned  before  that  I  expect  to  return  to  Beloit 
this  summer  to  work  for  the  college.  They  will 
give  a  campaign  fund  to  work  with  and  as 
many  stenographers  and  assistants  as  I  want. 
We  are  to  aim  for  a  class  of  one  hundred  and 


106   HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

fifty.  I  think  we  can  do  it.  I  am  on  a  committee 
here  to  start  a  similar  campaign  for  the  Yale 
Divinity  School.  I  did  not  want  to  get  roped 
into  this  at  all,  but  the  situation  here  is  bad,  and 
something  must  be  done  right  away.  The  Divin- 
ity School  is  decreasing  in  the  number  of  stu- 
dents nearly  ten  per  cent,  yearly.  I  am  to  write 
a  little  pamphlet,  setting  forth  the  advantages 
of  Yale  Divinity  School,  before  I  leave  here,  and 
will  start  the  ball  rolling.  After  I  leave  the 
Professors  are  to  follow  the  thing  up. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  been  informed  of  the 
uniform  and  complete  success  of  Pater's  tour. 
He  has  been  enthusiastically  received  everywhere 
and  has  met  with  a  most  gratifying  response,  and 
I  think  it  is  largely  due  to  his  work  that  the 
American  Board  has  pulled  through  its  greatest 
crisis. 

"  Probably  Pater  has  told  you  of  what  I 
should  like  to  do  in  the  future.  If  the  American 
Board  will  appoint  me  to  North  China,  I  should 
like  to  go  out  in  1908.  I  should  want  to  live  at 
Pang  Chuang  the  first  year  ,or  two  to  study 
Chinese  with  Pater."  (April  29,  1906.) 

The  good  work  which  Henry  had  done  for 
Beloit  had  attracted  the  notice  of  the  Seminary 
faculty,  and  he  was  asked  to  prepare  a  brief 
pamphlet  setting  forth  the  advantages  of  theo- 
logical study  at  Yale.  He  accepted  this  inter- 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   107 

esting  task  and  before  the  Seminary  year  closed 
there  was  published  a  handsome  booklet  of  some 
twenty  pages  under  the  title  "  Why  Choose  Yale 
Divinity  School."  It  was  issued  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Students'  Committee  on  Publicity 
and  Promotion  of  which  Henry  was  chairman. 
The  advantages  were  collated  under  seven  gen- 
eral heads,  each  skillfully  expanded  by  the 
editor,  in  finely  selected  quotations  from  educa- 
tional experts,  or  in  his  own  growingly  wise  sug- 
gestions. 

YALE     DIVINITY     SCHOOL 

"  I.     Offers  invaluable  University  privileges ; 

"Wide  range  of  studies;  Broad  culture;  Influence  of 
great  Masters;  Contact  with  many  kinds  of  men;  Humani- 
tarian study  and  scientific  method,  and  training  to  deal 
with  great  problems. 

"II.  Yale  Divinity  School  has  a  strong  Faculty.  [Here 
followed  a  list  of  the  members  of  the  Faculty  with  a  note 
of  the  graduate  honors  and  of  the  published  works  and 
articles  of  each  Professor.] 

"  III.  Yale  Divinity  School  maintains  a  broad  course 
of  study.  For  more  than  two  centuries  Yale  has  stood 
for  honest,  exact,  scholarly  study.  The  Divinity  School 
is  particularly  strict  in  this  requirement.  The  spirit  of 
the  Divinity  School  is  strongly  against  bigotry  and  preju- 
dice. It  is  conservative  with  that  liberality  which  dares 
to  prove  all  things  and  hold  fast  that  which  is  good. 

"  IV.  Yale  Divinity  School  furnishes  excellent  oppor- 
tunities for  special  preparation. 

"  The  Department  of  Missions  offers  extraordinary  op- 


108  HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

portunity  for  study  of  a  most  important  subject.  The 
courses  on  Asiatic  history  are  of  great  advantage  to  stu- 
dents. The  Department  of  Christian  Sociology  offers 
courses  of  great  interest.  The  Department  of  Pedagogy 
affords  comprehensive  training.  The  system  of  scholar- 
ship aid  is  so  arranged  as  to  cultivate  self  respect  and 
independence. 

"  V.  Yale  Divinity  students  enjoy  exceptional  religious 
privileges. 

"  Daily  service  in  the  Marquand  Chapel,  Weekly  meet- 
ings in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.;  The  University  chapel  services 
on  Sunday;  The  churches  of  New  Haven;  The  Volunteer 
Band. 

"  VI.     Yale  Alumni  do  good  work. 

"  VII.  A  unique  combination  of  special  advantages. 
Yale  enjoys  a  delightful  location;  is  near  New  York  City; 
the  social  life  of  the  Divinity  School  is  exceedingly  pleas- 
ant and  attractive.  The  atmosphere  of  New  England  is 
conducive  to  calm  and  thoughtful  study  of  great  problems. 
The  religious  atmosphere  of  the  Divinity  School  is  a 
powerful  influence  for  the  development  of  Christian  man- 
hood. 

"  No  man  ever  regrets  having  chosen  Yale." 

The  Divinity  Anniversary  this  year  was  on 
June  9.  The  examination  came  the  previous 
week.  Henry  writes  of  the  end  of  the  school 

year  and  his  summer  plans: 

"  June  2,  1906. 
"DEAR  PATER: 

"  I  was  very  glad  to  get  your  letter  from  La 
Mesa,  and  drop  you  a  line,  although  we  are  in 
the  dizzy  whirl  of  the  last  days  of  school.  I 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH    109 

have  taken  five  exams  out  of  seven.  Hebrew 
comes  on  Monday  and  later  at  Beloit  an  exam 
in  Browning,  which  will  be  sent  to  me.  After 
that  is  off,  June  12,  I  must  prepare  and  publish 
a  pamphlet  for  Beloit.  This  must  be  published 
and  in  the  mails  not  later  than  July  1.  About 
July  1  I  expect  to  send  out  letters  to  about 
five  thousand  young  men  who  are  just  gradu- 
ating from  high  schools.  After  that  the  work 
will  be  merely  correspondence.  About  July  30 
I  expect  to  take  a  stenographer  and  a  type- 
writer to  Lake  Geneva  or  some  other  cool  place 
or  shady  resort  and  spend  two  weeks  in  a  riot- 
ously good  time,  tramping,  boating,  fishing,  and 
living  in  the  woods.  After  August  15  I  hope  to 
have  an  assistant  for  the  last  month,  a  young  man 
who  graduated  last  year.  I  want  to  break  him 
in  to  the  work,  so  that  perhaps  he  can  take  it  next 
year,  if  I  want  to  do  something  else. 

"  Last  night  we  four  spent  an  hour  in  the 
college  yard  at  one  of  the  Yale  '  sings.'  The 
orchestra  played  until  it  was  dark,  then  we  sang 
college  songs  (about  two  thousand  of  us) ,  sitting 
around  the  old  fence  and  on  the  grass.  Last 
of  all  we  gathered  in  a  close  group  and  sang 
'  Bright  College  Years.'  Yale  men  always  take 
off  their  hats  when  they  sing  that  song,  and  as 
they  sing  the  last  line  they  raise  their  hats  and 
pledge  themselves  to  each  other  as  man  to  man, 


110   HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

'  For  God,  for  country,  and  for  Yale.'  The 
commencement  exercises  of  the  Divinity  School 
are  on  Sunday,  Tuesday,  and  Wednesday.  The 
four  speakers  from  the  graduating  class  are  all 
from  our  crowd,  three  of  them  Beloit  men.  I 
have  made  out  my  application  and  sent  it  in  to 
the  Prudential  Committee  of  the  American 
Board,  for  appointment  to  The  North  China 
Mission." 

The  Divinity  year  at  New  Haven  closed  on 
the  6th  of  June.  Henry  hurried  West  to  Beloit 
to  carry  on  once  more  the  campaign  for  that 
Greater  Beloit  which  had  begun  so  auspiciously 
the  autumn  before.  His  plan  of  campaign  lay 
fully  before  him  on  the  strenuous  model  of  the 
previous  year. 

His  first  effort  was  the  issuing  of  a  booklet, 
similar  to  that  just  issued  at  New  Haven,  under 
the  title 

"Will  It  Pay?" 
"(Some    interesting    facts    for    High    School    Graduates). 

This  was  issued  as  the  Beloit  College  Bulletin, 
July,  1906.  Vol.  8,  No.  5. 

It  easily  divides  itself  into  two  parts: 

"I.       Will  it  pay  to  get  a  College  Education ? 

"II.     Why  Choose  Beloit? 

"  I.     Will  it  pay  to  get  a  College  Education? 

For  the  man  who  studies  Law? 

For  the  man  who  means  to  study  medicine? 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   111 

For  the  man  who  is  going  into  the  ministry? 

For  the  man  who  expects  to  teach? 

For  the  man  who  is   going  into  engineering? 

For  the  man  who  intends  to  go  into  business? 

For  the  man  who  does  not  know  what  he  is  going  to  do  ? 
"  II.  Why  Choose  Beloit  College? 

Beloit  possesses  the  advantage  of  an  independent 
college. 

Beloit  has  the  best  equipment,  a  strong  Faculty,  main- 
tains a  high  standard  of  Scholarship,  has  a  fine  body 
of  students. 

Beloit's    graduates   succeed. 

Beloit  offers  an  unique  combination  of  special  ad- 
vantages/' 

Each  of  these  suggestions  were  carefully  elab- 
orated, and  a  fine  series  of  quotations  were  fit- 
tingly summed  up  in  the  (selected  remark  of 
President  Cyrus  Northrop  of  the  University  of 
Minnesota,  from  his  address  at  the  Yale  Bi- 
Centennial  Celebration : 

"  If  I  were  seeking  in  the  whole  West  for  a 
Young  Yale,  I  should  go  at  once  to  Beloit ;  and 
I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  there  is  no  de- 
nominational or  independent  non-sectarian  col- 
lege in  the  West  that  is  better  than  Beloit." 

Aside  from  sending  out  these  pamphlets  in 
large  numbers  Henry  hoped  to  increase  an  inter- 
est through  personal  correspondence.  A  personal 
secretary  and  occasionally  three  or  four  type- 
writers became  necessary  for  him  to  keep  up  with 


112   HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH 

his  overflowing  correspondence.  Such  work, 
coming  after  the  year  of  effort  at  New  Haven, 
was  no  doubt  a  drag  upon  his  physical  powers. 
His  father  sailed  for  China  early  in  July.  He 
himself  in  August,  with  his  stenographer,  went 
to  Lake  Geneva  for  the  relief  and  recreation 
which  that  beautiful  resort  affords,  if  it  does 
not  compel. 

Henry's  summer  letters  tell  of  his  work: 
"DEAR  PATER:  In  one  of  your  letters  you 
refer  to  Dr.  Patton's  correspondence  with  me. 
I  filled  out  the  necessary  papers  and  sent  them 
in.  I  gave  fifteen  or  twenty  references,  and  I 
know  that  Dr.  Patton  has  written  to  some  of 
them,  as  I  learned  from  Dr.  Leavitt,  who  was 
one  of  them.  Your  letter  of  June  15  told  of 
your  visit  in  Forest  Grove  the  week  before.  P. 
wrote  me  that  your  talk  to  the  students  was  the 
most  interesting  they  had  heard  for  years,  and 
that  they  could  have  listened  to  you  for  another 
hour  with  the  greatest  interest.  Your  account 
of  your  visit  at  Walla  Walla  was  very  interest- 
ing. It  rather  staggers  me  at  times  to  think  of 
my  distinguished  father,  Rev.  Arthur  H.  Smith, 
B.  A.,  M.  A.,  B.  D.,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  P.  Q.  D.,  X. 
Y.  Z.,  etc.,  after  dinner  speaker,  and  Missionary 
set  loose  on  China,  at  large!!  I  guess  you  will 
be  glad  to  get  back  to  Pang  Chuang.  If  I 
should  go  out  in  1908  I  hope  you  will  be  living 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   113 

somewhere  where  I  can  go  and  live  with  you  for 
a  year.  I  should  want  to  live  with  you  for  the 
first  year,  if  possible,  and  devote  my  entire  time 
to  the  study  of  Chinese.  Dr.  Patton  seems  very 
keen  to  have  me  identified  with  the  Board  as 
soon  as  possible  and  sent  out  just  as  soon  as  I  am 
through  Yale.  I  should  like  very  much  to  come 
back  to  Beloit  for  one  year  more.  I  love  the 
college  and  Beloit  seems  more  like  home  to  me 
than  any  other  place  in  this  country.  There  is 
a  great  deal  to  be  done  here  and  I  should  like 
to  do  it. 

"  When  I  reached  Beloit  I  contracted  the 
worst  kind  of  a  '  Girl-fever '  that  I  ever  had. 
Spring  weather  and  the  College  atmosphere  are 
demoralizing.  I  would  start  across  the  campus 
to  see  what  my  stenographers  were  doing,  but 
on  my  way  would  meet  some  fair  maiden  whom 
I  used  to  know.  When  we  returned  after  an 
hour  or  two  from  down  by  the  river  side  I  would 
be  very  likely  to  meet  another  one.  As  I  knew 
how  long  and  hot  and  lonesome  the  summer 
would  be  I  did  not  take  any  pills  to  cure  that 
June  madness,  but  had  all  the  fun  I  could  be- 
fore Commencement  came  and  it  was  all  over. 
Dignified  professors  observed  my  antics  with 
amusement,  and  kind  old  ladies  regarded  me  with 
an  indulgent  smile,  for  Beloit  people  are  very 
nice.  My  attack  of  feminamania  did  not  pre- 


114   HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

vent  me  from  keeping  three  stenographers  at 
work  at  the  top  of  their  speed  the  entire  time. 
Commencement  came  off  nicely.  This  one  had 
no  sadness  for  me.  I  did  not  feel  that  many 
intimate  friends  were  going  out  of  my  life  and 
was  only  happy  in  meeting  old  friends  and 
acquaintances." 

"BELOIT,  Wis.,  July  15,  1906. 

"DEAR  MOTHER:  I  think  I  told  you  about 
Pater's  different  visits  to  me  at  Yale,  and  what 
delightful  times  we  had.  I  was  mighty  proud  to 
show  him  off  to  everybody,  and  I  think  he  en- 
joyed meeting  my  friends.  He  had  many  en- 
gagements, but  we  managed  to  get  in  some  fine 
visits,  which  I  shall  never  forget.  Have  I  ever 
written  you  about  Mrs.  Frank  Porter,  of  New 
Haven?  She  had  heard  of  Beloit's  increase  of 
students  last  fall  and  conceived  the  idea  of  try- 
ing the  same  thing  in  Yale  Divinity  School.  I 
prepared  a  little  booklet  of  twenty  pages  setting 
forth  the  merits  and  advantages  of  the  Divinity 
School  as  a  fine  place  to  study  theology.  A 
thousand  copies  of  this  pamphlet  were  published 
and  sent  to  young  men  just  graduating  from 
different  colleges  and  to  graduates  of  Yale  who 
were  asked  to  help.  I  am  hoping  they  will  get 
a  good  entering  class. 

"  Seven  of  our  ten  Beloit-Yale  men  came  back 
to  Beloit  to  Commencement.  It  was  a  delight 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   115 

to  me  to  get  back,  for  the  longer  I  am  away  the 
more  Beloit  seems  to  me  like  home.  We  were 
very  much  shocked  to  hear  of  the  sudden  death 
of  Professor  Stevens  of  the  Yale  Divinity  School. 
He  was  considered  one  of  the  greatest  theolo- 
gians in  the  country,  and  will  be  a  terrible  loss 
to  the  Divinity  School.  He  was  a  delightful 
teacher.  I  enjoyed  his  lectures  immensely. 

"  This  summer  I  am  working  for  Beloit  again, 
and  we  hope  to  get  a  class  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  Freshmen.  In  order  to  do  this  we  are  en- 
tering upon  such  a  campaign  of  correspondence 
as  I  never  heard  of  before  anywhere  else.  We 
have  the  names  of  all  the  students  who  graduate 
from  high  schools  in  six  neighboring  States  this 
year.  I  am  having  printed  a  picture  folder  con- 
taining forty-six  views  of  Beloit,  and  a  thirty- 
six  page  pamphlet  setting  forth  the  advantages 
of  a  Beloit  College  education.  These  are  to  be 
sent  with  a  personal  letter,  enclosing  stamped 
envelope  for  reply  to  each  one  of  those  boys. 
All  will  go  together,  so  that  next  week  I  expect 
to  send  out  6000  personal  letters  and  9000  of 
each  kind  of  pamphlet.  That  tremendous  volume 
of  mail  will  open  the  battle — what  will  follow  re- 
mains to  be  seen.  I  have  four  stenographers 
under  me,  working  at  the  top  of  their  speed,  and 
must  have  another  to-morrow  as  four  can  not  do 
my  work.  Outside  of  working  hours  I  find  de- 


116   HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH 

lightful  things  to  do,  for  there  are  some  mighty 
nice  young  people  in  this  town  whom  I  have 
known  for  years.  Although  we  hope  that  this 
summer  will  mean  great  things  to  Beloit  College 
it  is  not  going  to  wear  me  out  as  it  did  last 
summer.  The  Old  Beloit  is  fast  growing  into 
the  Greater  Beloit  that  I  have  dreamed  about 
and  worked  for.  Old  John  Pfeffer  still  rings 
the  bell,  but  he  is  almost  the  last  of  the  Old 
Guard.  It  is  late  and  I  must  stop.  Give  my 
love  to  everybody  and  keep  lots  for  yourself." 

In  the  previous  letter  to  his  father  Henry  also 
wrote : 

"  Professors  Porter  and  Pearson  have  been 
granted  pensions  from  the  Carnegie  fund.  Their 
retirement  removes  the  last  of  the  £  Old  Guard/ 
The  Trustees  have  authorized  the  enlargement  of 
the  faculty  by  the  addition  of  four  new  men. 
This  is  the  first  conspicuous  result  of  the  increase 
in  the  number  of  students.  My  work  is  pro- 
gressing fairly  well.  I  was  obliged  to  go  in  to 
Chicago  for  some  days  to  use  the  city  libraries, 
as  I  could  not  get  hold  of  the  facts  and  statistics 
here. 

"  About  August  first  I  hope  to  take  the  best 
stenographer  to  a  nearby  summer  resort  for  a 
few  days. 

"  With  lots  of  love— HENRY." 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   117 

GENEVA    LAKE 

Henry  went  to  Lake  Geneva  for  his  rest.  The 
morning  of  the  7th  of  August  he  had  at- 
tended the  usual  praise  service,  in  which  there 
were  that  morning  some  special  suggestions,  very 
comforting  and  refreshing  to  those  weary  in  soul 
as  well  as  body.  Returning  from  this  service, 
a  morning  swim  was  in  order.  Miss  Ruth  Ma- 
cumber,  of  Beloit,  and  Miss  Van  Aiken  were 
going  in  also.  Miss  Van  Aiken,  not  feeling  well, 
was  still  upon  the  shore.  Miss  Macumber  was  al- 
ready in  the  water,  and  Henry  some  little  distance 
from  them.  Miss  Van  Aiken  very  soon  discovered 
that  her  friend  Ruth  was  struggling  in  too  deep 
water  and  called  for  help.  Henry,  without  a 
moment's  delay,  pushed  out  to  the  rescue.  As  so 
often  happens  the  weaker  and  struggling  one 
pulled  down  the  strong  one,  able  to  help.  Miss 
Van  Aiken,  on  the  shore,  noticed  the  struggle 
gave  what  help  she  could  and  summoned  others 
through  her  cries  of  distress.  Henry's  body  was 
in  the  water  scarce  more  than  twenty  minutes. 
It  was  found  that  Miss  Macumber  had  quite 
succumbed.  There  was,  however,  great  hope 
that  Henry  might  be  won  back  to  life.  Dean 
Collie  and  his  wife  devoted  themselves  to  the 
courageous  task,  and  skilled  physicians  made  the 
long  effort  to  attain  the  result.  After  many 


118   HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

hours  there  was  a  faint  flicker  of  life  and  to  the 
great  joy  of  the  rescuers,  a  slow  return  to  con- 
sciousness. Then  followed  the  delicate  task  of 
maintaining  the  life  thus  feebly  restored.  Under 
ordinary  circumstances  there  was  a  fair  chance 
that  the  dear  patient  might  be  fully  recovered. 
He  had,  it  is  true,  greatly  exhausted  his  nervous 
energy  in  the  continuous  effort  of  the  summer. 
When  he  slowly  opened  his  eyes  and  began  to 
speak  in  a  feeble  way  he  could  not  recall  the  situ- 
ation, wondering  where  he  might  be.  The  night 
wore  away  and  a  new  morning  dawned  while  the 
effort  to  sustain  his  strength  went  on.  At  last 
it  became  evident  that  his  vital  force  was  slowly 
ebbing  once  more.  At  the  end  of  twenty-one 
hours  of  this  remarkable  effort,  due  to  the  patient 
solicitude  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Collie,  the  precious 
life  succumbed  to  exhaustion.  Thus  ended,  on 
August  8,  the  splendid  energies  of  a  noble  young 
life,  so  full  of  hope,  courage,  and  persistent  joy 
in  service. 

The  body  was  taken  at  once  to  Beloit,  where 
the  funeral  services  took  place  in  the  College 
Chapel  on  Friday.  It  was  an  interesting  and 
peculiar  providence  that  Rev.  W.  C.  Merritt,  the 
husband  of  Henry's  Aunt,  Mrs.  Marie  Dickin- 
son Merritt,  was  passing  through  Chicago 
from  the  far  West  when  he  heard  of  the  ac- 
cident and  hastened  to  the  bedside  of  the  dear 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   119 

young  man.  He  found,  however,  that  the 
body  had  been  taken  on  to  Beloit  and  fol- 
lowed thither.  On  Friday,  August  10,  the 
few  friends  still  to  be  found  in  town  during 
the  summer  vacation  gathered  to  show  their 
deep  regard  for  Henry  and  fullest  sympathy 
with  the  parents  in  China,  who  could  not  know 
for  some  weeks  of  their  great  loss.  The  simple 
and  impressive  ceremonies  were  enhanced  by 
the  lovely  gifts  of  flowers  and  by  the  added 
depth  of  sorrow  of  the  parents  and  friends  of 
the  lovely  young  woman  on  whose  behalf  Henry 
had  so  unwittingly  laid  down  his  life.  The  par- 
ents of  Miss  Ruth  Macumber  laid  a  beautiful 
wreath  upon  the  casket  with  the  well-chosen 
motto,  "  Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that 
a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends." 

The  question  naturally  arose:  Where  should 
be  the  final  resting  place  for  the  precious  body? 
Henry's  uncle  had  been  buried  at  Appleton;  his 
sister  was  laid  away  in  Oakland,  Cal.  Should 
Beloit  be  chosen  or  one  of  the  other  now  sacred 
places?  Even  Mr.  Merritt  did  not  feel  author- 
ized to  determine  the  choice.  It  was  therefore 
left  to  be  decided  later,  when  his  parents  could 
make  the  decision.  In  the  meantime  a  private 
mortuary  tomb  in  the  Beloit  cemetery  was  kindly 
placed  at  the  disposal  of  Dr.  Collie,  and  the  re- 
mains were  borne  thither.  The  sunset  glow  of 


120   HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

the  radiant  Wisconsin  air  fell  softly  around  the 
closing  scenes  of  this  ardent  and  inspiring  life. 
Spoken  words  seem  inadequate  to  express  the 
thought  or  emotion  whose  depth  are  seldom 
reached  except  in  the  quiet  of  the  hidden  man  of 
the  heart.  It  is  enough  to  say  in  the  words  of  the 
Apostle,  "  Thanks  be  unto  God  who  giveth  the 
Victory."  It  is  the  victory  over  the  mortal  life, 
over  time  and  sense,  which  unfolds  as  the  years 
pass  on. 

An  effort  was  made  by  Dr.  Collie  and  Rev. 
Mr.  Merritt  to  give  Henry's  parents  word  by 
cable  of  their  great  loss.  It  appeared  best,  how- 
ever, others,  who  had  perhaps  a  larger  ex- 
perience of  such  matters,  to  delay,  letting  the 
impress  of  sorrow  reveal  itself  through  the  let- 
ters which  were  sure  to  hasten  Chinaward.  The 
event  proved  that  this  was  quite  the  best.  Dr. 
Arthur  Smith  was  just  about  arriving  in  Shang- 
hai, at  the  time  of  Henry's  death.  He  planned 
at  once  to  go  to  a  summer  resort  near  Kiu-Kiang 
in  central  China.  Mrs.  Smith  was  still  at  Pang 
Chuang,  but  shortly  after  went  to  Shanghai  and 
joined  her  husband  on  the  15th  of  September. 
Her  husband  met  her  at  Kiu-Kiang,  whence 
they  returned  to  the  mountain  retreat.  On  ar- 
riving at  Kuling,  in  the  evening,  they  received 
the  first  intimation  that  some  disaster  confronted 
them  in  a  telegram  from  friends  at  Peking — 


HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH    121 

"  Love  and  Sympathy,  Prayers."  They  waited 
three  days  in  wondering,  fearing  expectation, 
when  on  the  18th  letters  came  bearing  the  sor- 
rowful tidings.  Dr.  Collie  had  sent,  as  others 
did,  a  full  account  of  the  disaster  and  of  the 
funeral  services.  A  few  sentences  from  Dr. 
Smith's  personal  letters  will  give  a  glimpse  into 
the  thought  of  the  parents. 

"  During  the  three  days  of  interval,  when  we 
knew  that  something  was  coming  but  did  not 
know  what  it  was  to  be,  we  said  to  one  another 
that  no  matter  what  it  was,  we  were  not  afraid 
of  it — and  we  were  not.  So  many,  many  people 
must  have  been  praying  for  us;  indeed  most  of 
the  letters  which  reached  us  this  evening  spoke  of 
that,  almost  the  only  thing  that  friends  could 
do.  I  sent  a  cablegram  to  Dr.  Collie,  with  the 
word  *  Beloit,'  because  it  seemed  much  more  fit- 
ting that  he  should  be  buried  there,  where  much 
of  his  important  work  was  done,  than  in  a  place 
with  which  he  had  no  association.  We  feel  very 
sure,  as  so  many  letters  and  President  Eaton's 
telegram  and  letter  repeat,  that  Henry's  influence 
will  be  much  greater  for  good  on  the  life  of  the 
college  than  if  he  had  lived." 

On  receipt  of  the  cable  from  China  it  was  at 
once  arranged  to  transfer  the  body  to  a  perma- 
nent resting  place  in  the  Beloit  cemetery.  On 
Saturday,  September  22,  the  final  services,  brief 


122   HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

and  simple,  were  held,  attended  by  members  of 
the  faculty  and  such  students  as  had  received 
word  of  the  interment.  A  memorial  service  was 
further  held  in  the  college  chapel  at  Vespers, 
Sunday,  September  30.  The  services  included 
also  a  memorial  of  Rev.  B.  Royal  Cheney,  pas- 
tor of  the  Beloit  Second  Church,  who  had  died 
in  Italy,  and  was  buried  at  Florence.  The 
lovely  cemeteries  of  our  land,  tenderly  cared  for 
alike  by  public  and  private  interest  and  love,  be- 
speak the  living  faith  as  well  as  the  deepest  emo- 
tions of  the  inner  life.  A  sweet  solemnity  gathers 
round  each  single  tomb,  and  the  universal  voice 
rejoices  in  witnessing  to  the  "  Hope  of  a  blessed 
immortality."  Spiritual  longings  surround  these 
blessed  dead  with  a  reality  which  even  the  stress 
of  active  living  cannot  surpass.  Whatever  be 
the  veil  which  hides  from  us  our  own,  with  glad 
Christian  confidence  we  recall  the  words  of  the 
Master  to  whom  we  owe  this  hope.  To  such  a 
hope  there  are  no  Dead.  God  is  the  God  not  of 
dead  men,  but  of  living  souls. 


FUNERAL  SERVICES  AND 
ADDRESSES 


FUNERAL  SERVICES* 

The  funeral  services  over  the  remains  of  Henry  Dick- 
inson Smith  were  held  in  the  college  chapel  Friday  after- 
noon, August  10,  1906.  The  service  was  very  simple 
and  impressive  because  of  its  simplicity.  The  casket 
was  fairly  buried  in  a  background  of  golden  glow,  pure 
white  lilies  and  carnations.  There,  in  the  peace  and 
quietude  of  the  beloved  chapel,  with  the  windows  of  the 
chapel  radiant  with  the  rays  of  the  afternoon  sun,  a 
large  gathering  of  college  and  town  people  assembled 
to  pay  their  respects  to  the  memory  of  one  whom  they 
had  come  to  love  and  appreciate  as  a  friend;  as  a  ser- 
vant of  the  highest  ideals  of  Beloit  College,  whose  life 
had  been  devoted  to  the  furtherance  of  these  ideals  in 
the  attempt  to  found  a  greater  and  better  Beloit. 
Death  has  stayed  the  hand  of  the  sculptor,  the  master- 
piece remains  unfinished,  but  the  inspiration  of  the  noble 
life  such  as  Henry  Smith's  will  remain  forever  in  the 
hearts  of  all  true  sons  and  daughters  of  Beloit.  Dean 
Collie  spoke  in  behalf  of  the  college,  Rev.  E.  P.  Salmon 
in  behalf  of  the  trustees.  Rev.  W.  F.  Brown  offered 
prayer,  and  Mr.  Darwin  Leavitt,  '04,  who  was  with  Mr. 
Smith  at  Yale,  told  of  his  life  there.  The  Treble  Clef 

*  The  following  reports  of  these  services,  with  the  addresses 
given  at  them,  are  reprinted  from  the  Beloit  College  Round  Table 
for  October  5,  1906. 


126  HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

choir  sang  the  beautiful  hymns,  "  Hark,  Hark,  My 
Soul"  and  "Peace,  Perfect  Peace."  Rev.  Robert  C. 
Bedford  pronounced  the  benediction.  At  the  close  of 
the  service,  a  telegram  from  President  Eaton  was  read 
by  Dr.  Collie. 

St.  Johnsbury,  August  9. 

"  Please  express  at  the  service  our  love  and  grief  for 
this  loyal  knightly  son  of  Beloit.  His  great  heart  and 
eager  brain  were  tirelessly  devoted  in  the  noblest  service. 
Deploring  the  bitter  loss  to  earth,  we  reverently  recog- 
nize his  call  to  a  higher  mission." 

The  remains  were  temporarily  placed  in  the  Broder 
vault  at  the  cemetery,  but  on  receipt  of  instructions 
from  the  parents  in  China,  were  removed  to  the  grave 
on  September  22.  Brief  services  were  held  at  this 
time  in  the  presence  of  the  faculty  and  the  student 
body. 

PRAYER    AT    THE    CHAPEL 

BY      REV.    W.      F.     BROWN,      D.      D. 

O  God,  the  giver  of  all  good,  we  thank  thee  for  those 
good  things  that  are  given  only  to  be  soon  taken  away. 
We  thank  thee  for  daylight,  though  it  quickly  changes 
into  darkness ;  we  thank  thee  for  the  flowers  that  give 
us  their  bloom  and  fragrance  and  then  fade;  we  thank 
thee  for  the  springtime  with  all  its  new  life,  that  soon 
changes  into  the  heat  and  discomfort  of  summer;  we 
thank  thee  for  children,  the  young  lives  given  for  our 
care  and  for  our  comfort,  those  boys  and  girls  who 
quickly  grow  up  and  go  off  to  homes  of  their  own,  per- 
haps thousands  of  miles  away — go  out  of  our  lives  and 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   127 

yet  not  out  of  our  life.  So  we  thank  thee  for  this 
young  life,  so  briefly  enjoyed,  his  father's  comfort,  his 
mother's  joy,  an  honor  to  his  college,  the  pride  of  his 
classmates,  the  friend  of  so  many.  We  are  glad  that 
he  possessed  those  friends  and  that  they  possessed  him. 
With  personal  delight  we  all  watched  the  young  sculp- 
tor as  he  blocked  out  his  life's  design  and  wrought  so 
earnestly  at  his  work.  The  blows  of  his  mallet  were 
so  vigorous,  his  chisel  was  so  sure  and  the  design  so 
noble  that  we  felt  certain  he  would  produce  a  master- 
piece. And  then  came  the  silent,  muffled  form  and  the 
extended  arm  and  that  resistless  touch  upon  the  work- 
er's hand,  and  he  had  to  go.  We  know  not  why  the 
sculptor  was  taken  away  from  such  promise  and  pros- 
pect of  honorable  achievement,  but  we  feel  sure  it  was 
not  because  his  work  was  imperfect  or  the  worker  un- 
worthy. He  has  gone  out  of  our  life,  yet,  as  we  believe, 
not  gone  out  of  life.  If  angels  bless  thee  and  do  thy 
commandments,  harkening  to  the  voice  of  thy  word, 
we  are  sure  that  this  redeemed  soul  will  just  as  willingly 
hear  thy  commands  and  do  them  in  heaven  as  he  did 
on  earth. 

Lord,  let  not  this  name  pass  from  us,  but  may  it  re- 
main in  this  place  as  ointment  poured.  May  the  fra- 
grance of  this  short  life  of  good  Christian  service,  so 
freely  poured  out  for  others,  linger  here  as  one  of  this 
school's  most  precious  memories.  May  it  not  be  too 
much  to  hope,  too  much  to  ask  that  the  inspiration  of 
our  young  brother's  earnest  spirit  may  pass  into  some 
other,  who  shall  take  up  the  sculptor's  fallen  mallet  and 
chisel  and  yet  finish  the  masterpiece  of  life  which  he 


128  HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

had  begun  so  well.  God  of  mercy,  comfort  the  father 
on  the  sea,  and  the  mother  in  distant  China,  and  the 
other  relatives  and  friends  wherever  they  are.  We  know 
not  why  this  loss  has  come.  We  only  know  that  thou 
doest  all  things  well.  Since  death  is  but  thy  messenger 
and  takes  us  not  out  of  life,  but  only  to  the  heavenly 
place  and  work  prepared,  we  humbly  trust  and  hope- 
fully submit  all  to  thee.  May  even  this  sad  event  only 
renew  and  strengthen  that  trust.  May  full  comfort 
come  to  all  who  must  bear  sorrow,  even  as  springtime 
comes  after  winter. 

We  ask  it  for  Christ's  sake. 

COLLEGE    MEMORIAL    SERVICE 

Memorial  services  in  the  memory  of  Henry  D.  Smith 
and  Rev.  B.  Royal  Cheney  were  held  in  the  chapel  last 
Sunday  (September  30,  1906)  afternoon.  The  vesper 
choir  sang  the  beautiful  anthem ;  "  Peace  I  leave  with 
you."  Rev.  W.  C.  Merritt  of  Tacoma,  Wash.,  uncle  of 
Henry  Smith,  spoke  of  the  life  of  his  nephew.  He  said 
in  part :  "  I  will  mention  a  few  of  the  instances 
which  I  remember  in  Henry's  life.  The  first  was 
when,  at  the  age  of  four,  he  came  to  our  home 
in  Honolulu.  The  bright  face  and  energetic  voice 
of  the  boy  gave  promise  of  the  man.  The  next  incident 
was  at  a  similar  service  to  this,  when  he  stood  at  the 
grave  of  his  only  sister.  His  mother  was  with  him,  but 
his  father  was  in  China.  As  a  hymn  was  being  sung 
Henry  took  a  handkerchief  from  has  mother's  reticule 
and  wiped  her  eyes  from  tears.  When  later,  after  being 
an  instructor,  he  came  to  our  home  at  Tacoma,  he  was 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   129 

the  tall,  broad-shouldered,  splendid-faced  young  man. 
There  is  a  lesson  from  his  life.  Life  is  the  great  prob- 
lem, not  death.  An  early  or  sudden  death  is  for  God  to 
decide;  it  is  for  us  to  attain  early  a  strong  life.  It 
is  not  just  how  long  we  live,  but  how  strong.  Not  long 
ago  Henry  had  to  overcome  a  great  temptation.  His 
cousin,  successfully  engaged  in  business  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, urged  him  to  turn  his  abilities  in  that  direction. 
He  declined,  however,  for  he  had  dedicated  his  life  to 
the  work  of  his  father  and  mother  in  the  great  mission 
field  in  China.  Then  he  took  the  work  of  the  secretary- 
ship of  the  College,  and  had  a  vision  of  '  Greater 
Beloit.'  He  gripped  the  vision  and  the  vision  gripped 
him  and  Greater  Beloit  became  a  reality." 

EDITORIAL 

In  the  bereavements  of  Rev.  B.  Royal  Cheney  and 
Henry  D.  Smith  the  college  has  sustained  an  inestimable 
loss.  The  tragic  sweep  has  left  a  feeling  of  silence  in 
the  hearts  of  Beloit  men  and  women — has  wrapt  our 
Alma  Mater  in  a  pall  of  sorrow  for  her  sons  whom  she 
loved  so  much  and  who  so  much  loved  her,  and  whose 
departure  from  this  mortal  life  was  so  unforeseen  and 
unexpected,  who 

"Waned  not  as  light  from  the  landscape  at  even, 
As  mist  from  the  mountain  or  snow  from  the  hill — 

But  passed  as  a  star  from  the  azure  of  heaven, 
A  flash  from  the  clouds  or  a  ray  from  the  rill." 

In  reviewing  the  life  of  Henry  D.  Smith  two  factors 
become  paramount,  two  qualities  in  that  life,  "  not 


130  HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

long,  but  strong,"  worthy  of  our  best  thought  and 
highest  emulation.  The  one  was  his  enthusiastic  and 
conquering  attitude  toward  all  activities  into  which  he 
entered;  the  other  his  profound,  loyal,  and  rooted  de- 
votion to  his  Alma  Mater.  It  is  needless  to  speak  of 
Mr.  Smith  as  a  worker.  He  was  a  worshipper  of  work. 
The  Beloit-Knox  debate  of  1902,  the  Yale-Harvard 
debate  and  the  "  Greater  B'eloit "  are  instances  in  a  life 
whose  course  was  steady  and  determined,  of  a  person- 
ality which  was  firm  in  its  resolve,  unremittent  in  its 
endeavors,  invincible  in  its  purpose.  Not  only  did  he 
work,  but  he  worked  with  a  faith  that  makes  the  result 
come  true.  In  himself,  in  others,  in  the  object  to  be 
accomplished  he  had  faith.  It  stimulated  his  efforts 
and  brought  to  realization  the  thing  desired.  On  all 
occasions  Mr.  Smith  exhibited  unwearying  and  unre- 
lenting fidelity  toward  his  college,  for  he  was  a  gentle- 
man always  and  everywhere.  He  was  interested  in 
every  phase  and  department  of  Beloit,  and  in  every  un- 
dertaking he  stood  on  lines  ready  to  lend  immeasurably 
of  his  inspiring  influence,  which  was  not  the  aroma  of  a 
violet,  but  the  perfume  of  a  forest  of  pine  whose  fra- 
grance is  spread  far  and  wide.  What  tribute  can  we 
pay  him,  what  better  and  truer,  more  expressive  of  the 
service  rendered  than  link  him  always  with  the  name, 
"  Author  and  founder  of  Greater  Beloit." 

HENRY  DICKINSON   SMITH 

DEAN  G.   L.   COLLIE 

Henry  Smith,  one  of  the  most  devoted  and  loyal  sons 
Beloit  ever  sent  forth,  died  at  Lake  Geneva  on  August 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   131 

8,  1906.  His  death  resulted  from  exhaustion  brought 
on  by  his  heroic  efforts  to  save  Mists  Ruth  MacCumber 
from  drowning. 

Henry  was  the  son  of  Dr.  Arthur  H.  Smith  and  Mrs. 
Emma  Dickinson  Smith.  He  was  born  at  Tientsin, 
China,  on  January  2£,  1881.  The  first  twelve  years  of 
his  life  were  spent  in  China,  with  an  interval  of  two 
years  and  a  few  months  spent  in  the  United  States  and 
in  the  Hawaiian  Islands.  In  1893  Dr.  Smith  brought 
his  family  to  this  country,  leaving  them  here  while  he 
returned  to  China.  The  family  made  their  home  in  Oak- 
land, Cal.,  where  Henry  attended  the  High  School,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1897.  After  graduation  he 
spent  a  year  and  more  in  business  in  San  Francisco, 
where  his  energy  and  his  marked  business  ability  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  his  employers.  He  decided  that 
he  must  have  a  college  education,  and  refusing  all  offers 
to  continue  in  business  he  turned  his  face  toward  Beloit, 
entering  college  in  1898.  It  was  appropriate  that  he 
should  select  Beloit  as  his  college.  His  father  was  a 
member  of  the  class  of  1867,  a  famous  class  in  our 
annals.  His  uncle,  Henry  Dickinson,  was  a  graduate 
in  the  class  of  1863.  Both  father  and  uncle  had  been 
instructors  in  the  college,  both  of  them  true-hearted 
alumni.  Henry  Gary  Dickinson  has  been  dead  more 
than  thirty  years,  yet  his  memory  is  cherished  by  scores 
in  this  community  and  in  the  city  where  he  labored, 
Appleton,  Wis.  Because  of  these  relationships  of  the 
past,  this  ardent,  enthusiastic  youth  of  seventeen,  who 
revered  his  family,  would  naturally  come  to  his  father's 
Alma  Mater. 


132   HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

Henry  was  always  a  perfect  dynamo  of  energy,  his 
working  hours  were  filled  with  all  kinds  of  useful  ac- 
tivity, he  did  not  neglect  his  studies,  and  yet  he  did 
not  devote  himself  absolutely  to  them.  He  entered  into 
all  of  the  varied  life  of  the  college.  He  became  one 
of  the  most  famous  undergraduates  the  college  ever  had, 
his  enthusiasm  and  undaunted  courage  were  infectious ; 
they  begot  like  qualities  in  his  fellow  students.  Who 
can  forget  his  rooting  at  games  or  his  rapid-fire  speeches 
in  the  chapel  or  on  the  campus  when  he  strove  to  awaken 
the  flagging  enthusiasm  of  his  fellow-students.  Study 
is  perhaps  the  first  requisite  in  a  scholar's  life  while  in 
college,  and  yet  how  important  that  other  activities 
be  maintained,  how  dull  and  narrow  our  life  here  would 
be  with  nothing  but  study  in  it.  We  need  the  athletic, 
musical,  and  literary  influences  as  well.  How  grateful 
I  am  to  students  like  Henry  Smith,  who  have  great 
natural  endowments,  who  could  take  first  rank  in  their 
studies,  but  who  sacrifice  this  laudable  ambition  in  order 
to  develop  other  sides  of  college  life.  This  very  thing 
Henry  Smith  did,  and  his  memory  will  be  very  dear  to 
me,  because  though  a  student,  he  sacrificed  the  high  at- 
tainments in  scholarship  of  which  he  was  capable  in 
order  to  quicken  student  life  in  general.  He  was  an 
earnest  worker  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

In  the  autumn  of  1901  he  accepted  the  thankless 
task  of  captaining  the  second  team  in  football.  There 
is  honor,  no  glory  in  this  kind  of  work,  nothing  but 
hard  knocks  and  harder  work.  It  was  characteristic  of 
him  that  he  accepted  the  difficult  position  and  put  his 
energy  into  it.  Never  before  nor  since  has  the  college 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   133 

had  such  a  "  scrub  team  "  developed.  He  kept  its  mem- 
bership full,  he  got  his  men  out,  and  he  made  them  play 
to  the  limit  of  their  strength.  He  was  a  power  in 
debate,  and  perhaps  became  one  of  the  most  famous  of 
undergraduate  debaters  in  our  history.  In  the  Knox- 
Beloit  debate  of  1902,  Beloit  had  apparently  lost  the 
debate  when  Henry  Smith  rose  to  make  his  argument  in 
rebuttal.  No  one  who  was  present  will  be  likely  to  for- 
get that  speech.  His  generalship,  his  quick  wit,  his 
eager,  passionate  argument  simply  swept  the  Knox  men 
from  their  feet  and  Beloit  won  the  decision.  To  show 
the  many-sided  character  of  his  participation  in  college 
affairs,  let  me  enumerate  some  of  the  offices  he  held  while 
in  college:  Member  of  the  Ripon  debate,  manager  of 
the  Greek  play,  athletic  editor  of  the  Round  Table, 
participant  in  the  prize  declamation,  member  of  class 
football  team,  captain  second  football  team,  leader  of 
the  Knox  debate,  vice  president  Archean  Union,  presi- 
dent Cliosophic,  treasurer  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  assistant  li- 
brarian. From  the  outset  of  his  career  he  took  great 
interest  in  public  speaking  and  debate.  He  was  a  hard 
and  consistent  worker  along  these  lines.  At  the  Fresh- 
man banquet  he  gave  a  capital  speech  on  the  subject 
of  "  Co-eds."  He  was  a  speaker  on  Prize  Declamation 
in  his  Sophomore  year,  selecting  a  piece  entitled  "  The 
Battle  of  Gettysburg."  In  his  Freshman  year,  he  was 
leader  of  the  Ripon-Beloit  debate,  which  Beloit  lost, 
but  he  had  the  training  which  prepared  him  for  the 
notable  victory  in  the  Knox  debate  already  mentioned. 
After  graduation  he  was  tendered  the  position  of  in- 
structor in  public  speaking  in  Pacific  University,  Forest 


134  HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

Grove,  Ore.  He  was  very  successful  in  his  work  there 
and  raised  the  institution  to  the  first  rank  in  that  line 
of  work  among  the  colleges  of  the  Puget  Sound  region. 
He  threw  himself  into  the  work  there  with  characteristic 
abandon  and  intensity.  His  uncle,  Mr.  Merritt  of  Ta- 
coma,  tells  me  that  he  would  come  to  his  home  occa- 
sionally so  exhausted  that  he  would  sleep  for  a  day  or 
two,  only  being  aroused  to  take  nourishment.  This 
utter  disregard  of  his  health  and  comfort  while  doing 
his  work  was  always  a  marked  feature  of  his  career. 

After  two  years  of  labor  at  Pacific  he  was  called  to 
Beloit  to  act  as  assistant  to  the  President.  He  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  a  Greater  Beloit,  and  gave  himself  to 
this  idea  with  rare  force  and  business  acumen.  He 
toiled  day  and  night  to  effect  means  by  which  the  college 
could  be  built  up.  He  convinced  doubtful  trustees  that 
his  plans  were  feasible,  he  enthused  faculty,  alumni  and 
students  until  all  joined  hands  with  him  to  carry  out 
his  purpose.  We  all  know  the  success  that  attended 
his  efforts.  The  Greater  Beloit  will  come  in  the  future, 
that  is  assured,  and  it  will  be  to  Henry  Smith's  credit 
that  he  gave  it  the  first  great  impetus  in  the  forward 
direction.  He  had  rare  ability  in  collecting  and  pre- 
senting facts  succinctly  and  forcefully.  His  pamphlet, 
"  Will  It  Pay,"  is  an  instance  of  the  successful  way  in 
which  he  presented  the  arguments  in  favor  of  a  college 
education.  His  methods  of  advertising  the  college  were 
models  of  their  kind  and  will  set  the  standard  here  at 
Beloit  for  years  to  come.  He  was  a  great  promoter  in 
his  field,  and  yet  he  cared  little  for  his  position,  but 
much  for  what  he  could  accomplish.  It  was  his  plan  to 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   135 

give  his  life  for  missionary  service  in  China,  to  carry 
on  the  great  work  which  his  parents  are  now  doing.  He 
had  completed  one  year  of  study  at  the  Yale  Divinity 
school  in  furtherance  of  that  purpose.  Already  he  had 
made  application  to  the  American  Board  to  serve  under 
its  direction.  The  last  letter  I  wrote  in  his  behalf  was 
one  to  the  Secretaries  of  the  Board  urging  the  fitness 
for  that  service. 

He  had  returned  to  Beloit  in  June  to  carry  on  his 
campaign  for  150  students.  He  had  sent  out  thou- 
sands of  letters  to  prospective  students  all  over  the 
Northwest.  Wearied  with  his  exacting  service  he  had 
gone  to  Lake  Geneva  for  a  brief  vacation.  A  day  or 
two  before  the  accident  which  terminated  his  life  he 
came  over  to  our  cottage  and  talked  eagerly  and  earn- 
estly about  the  future  of  the  college.  He  feared  that 
with  increasing  numbers  among  students  and  faculty 
the  old  ideals  and  purposes  would  be  lost.  I  tried  to 
assure  him  that  this  result  was  not  likely,  and  that  we 
of  to-day  would  make  every  effort  to  keep  the  college 
true  to  its  best  traditions.  Within  seventy-two  hours 
he  lay  dead  in  that  same  cottage — even  in  his  dying 
hours  his  whole  thought  was  for  Beloit.  In  a  true  sense 
he  is  a  martyr  in  the  cause  of  the  college.  He  had  used 
up  his  vitality  in  its  behalf  and  was  unable  to  overcome 
the  effects  of  his  accident.  Since  his  death  many  tributes 
to  his  worth  and  zeal  have  been  received — and  all  were 
sincere  and  true  in  their  appreciation. 

On  August  10  he  was  taken  to  the  well-beloved  chapel, 
and  simple  services  were  held  there,  his  silent  form  sur- 
rounded with  a  wealth  of  golden  glow,  the  college  color. 


136  HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

Our  deepest  sympathies  are  with  the  parents  in  far- 
away China,  now  bereft  of  their  only  child.  Yet  even 
in  our  sorrow  and  their  grief,  we  all  have  reason  to  re- 
joice that  men  of  his  heroism,  his  knightly  qualities  are 
still  found  among  men. 

HENRY   DICKINSON   SMITH  AT  YALE 

REMARKS   BY  DARWIN  A.   LEAVITT 

For  five  years  I  have  been  having  the  privilege  of 
knowing  Henry  Smith  as  a  student,  four  of  them  spent 
at  Beloit  and  one  fruitful  year  at  Yale  Divinity  school, 
so  that  while  not  intimately  associated  with  him  as  some 
others  have  been,  I  have  yet  been  near  enough  to  feel 
that  now  I  have  lost  a  personal  friend,  one  of  Beloit's 
ablest  and  noblest  sons. 

Henry  Smith's  student  life  was  marked  by  its  abun- 
dance, as  shown  in  the  variety  of  his  activities  and  the 
efficiency  with  which  he  conducted  them.  He  was  a  bril- 
liant student,  as  his  first  term's  record  at  Yale  shows: 
yet  he  never  attained  distinction  in  scholarship,  as  he 
might  well  have  done  had  he  devoted  himself  solely  to 
study;  because  his  conception  of  college  life  was  too 
broad  for  that.  So  he  plunged  deep  into  the  literary 
and  athletic  activities  of  the  institution,  and  as  captain 
of  the  second  team  in  the  football  season,  and  member 
of  three  debating  teams  at  Beloit  and  one  at  New  Haven, 
as  editor  of  the  Round  Table,  and  future  editor  of 
the  Yale  Divinity  Quarterly,  and  as  an  enthusiastic 
advocate  of  the  honor  system  in  Beloit  College,  in  all 
these  ways  he  left  a  permanent  impress  on  the  life  of 
the  institution.  His  special  gift  was  in  debating,  and 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   137 

his  services  to  Beloit  were  not  measured  alone  by  the 
debates  in  which  he  actually  participated,  but  by  those 
as  well  for  which  he  was  of  material  assistance  in  bring- 
ing victory  to  Beloit  by  his  efficient  training  of  other 
debaters.  In  1902  Henry  led  a  winning  team  against 
Knox  and  coached  the  two  lower  classes,  which 
were  likewise  victorious.  Three  years  later,  when  he 
was  here  again  as  secretary  of  the  college,  he  coached 
the  three  debating  teams,  and  once  more  won  all.  These 
two  were  the  only  years  in  which  Beloit  won  three 
debates. 

Henry  Smith  was  a  man  of  marked  usefulness  and 
loyalty  to  his  college  and  to  his  friends.  He  would  give 
himself  without  sparing  whenever  he  saw  any  need  that 
he  could  supply,  even  at  great  cost  to  himself  and 
against  the  advice  of  his  friends.  He  was  always  ready 
to  believe  the  best  concerning  his  college  and  his  friends, 
and  vindicate  them  against  any  criticism  that  might  be 
offered.  But  his  friendship  did  not  spend  itself  in 
words.  He  lost  his  life  trying  to  save  a  friend,  and 
greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this.  I  could  not  speak 
of  Henry  as  a  student  without  mentioning  his  uncon- 
querable enthusiasm  and  optimism.  Others  might  be 
discouraged  in  the  face  of  an  impending  crisis,  but  not 
he,  and  before  long  his  courage  and  hope  would  com- 
municate themselves  to  the  rest  of  the  students,  and  in- 
spire them  to  work  with  him  and  meet  success.  In  the 
words  of  a  favorite  poem  of  Henry's  he  was 

"  One  who  never  turned  back  his  back,  but  marched  breast  for- 
ward, 
Never  doubted  clouds  would  break, 


138   HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH 

Never  dreamed  though  right  was  worsted,  wrong  would  triumph, 

Held,  we  fall  to  rise,  are  baffled  to  fight  better, 
Sleep  to  wake." 


He  has  fallen  asleep,  to  wake  into  a  yet  more  glorious 
and  fruitful  life. 

MEMORIAL  NOTICES. 

The  following  obituary  references  appeared  in  the 
Yale  Dwmity  Quarterly  for  October,  1906 : 

HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH 

Henry  Dickinson  Smith,  '08,  died  August  8,  at  Camp 
Collie,  Lake  Geneva,  Wis.  The  previous  day  he  was 
in  bathing  and  went  to  the  assistance  of  a  companion 
who  was  drowning.  The  shock  and  the  exposure  re- 
sulted in  his  death,  although  consciousness  was  restored 
for  a  few  hours  by  the  physicians.  Henry  D.  Smith 
was  the  sgn  of  Rev.  Arthur  H.  Smith,  D.  D.,  LL.D., 
the  well-known  missionary  of  the  American  Board  in 
China.  He  was  born  in  Tientsin,  China,  January  22, 
1881.  He  graduated  from  Beloit  College  in  1902,  and 
then  was  instructor  in  English  and  Public  Speaking  in 
Pacific  University,  Forest  Grove,  Ore.,  for  two  years. 
He  entered  Yale  Divinity  School  in  the  Junior  Class 
one  year  ago.  He  was  class  deacon,  an  Allis  scholar,  on 
the  editorial  board  of  the  Quarterly,  a  member  of 
the  Yale  debating  team  that  met  Harvard  in  the  spring, 
and  was  chairman  of  the  students'  committee  on  pub- 
licity and  promotion,  in  which  capacity  he  compiled 
the  pamphlet,  "Why  Choose  Yale  Divinity  School?" 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   139 

At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  Field  Secretary  for 
Beloit  College. 

Mr.  Smith  was  characterized  by  a  brilliant  wit,  a 
remarkable  executive  ability,  and  an  unusual  power  of 
concentration.  His  enthusiasm  for  any  work  in  which 
he  was  interested  was  almost  unbounded,  and  he  could 
put  enthusiasm  into  others.  He  was  most  unselfish  in 
his  disposition,  modest  >and  retiring  in  manner,  and  had 
a  deeply  spiritual  nature.  The  foreign  mission  service 
was  to  have  been  his  life  work,  as  he  had  already  applied 
to  the  American  Board  for  appointment  when  he  had 
completed  his  Divinity  course.  His  promise  for  future 
usefulness  was  most  unusual,  and  his  loss  is  one  that 
will  be  inestimable  to  the  Divinity  School,  the  mission 
field  in  China,  and  to  all  his  friends  East  and  West.  The 
strong  characteristics  of  his  life  will  always  be  an  in- 
spiration to  all  who  knew  him. 

W.  A.  ROWELL. 

The  Middle  class  has  adopted  the  following  resolu- 
tions in  memory  of  their  former  classmate,  Henry  D. 
Smith: 

"  Whereas,  God  in  His  inscrutable  providence  has 
taken  to  Himself  the  soul  of  our  beloved  classmate — 
Henry  Dickinson  Smith — we,  the  members  of  this 
Middle  class  of  the  Yale  Divinity  School,  desire  to 
express  our  great  sense  of  loss  occasioned  by  the  death 
of  our  brother,  withal  a  noble  death,  for  '  Greater  love 
hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man  lay  down  his  life  for 
his  friends.'  We  remember  with  pride  his  unusual  bril- 
liance and  ability,  and  the  large  promise  he  gave  of 


140  HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

usefulness  to  his  generation,  and  we  bear  in  grateful 
remembrance  his  unique  spirit  of  devotion  which  allowed 
no  consideration  of  personal  interests. 

"  Therefore,  be  it  resolved  that  we  hereby  extend  to 
his  parents  in  their  bereavement  our  heartfelt  sympathy, 
with  the  assurance  that  to  those  who  knew  him  best  the 
example  of  his  devoted  life  will  be  a  never  ceasing 
inspiration. 

"  Be  it  further  resolved  that  a  copy  of  the  foregoing 
be  sent  to  the  parents  of  our  departed  brother,  and  that 
a  copy  be  sent  to  the  Yale  Divinity  Quarterly  for 
publication  in  its  next  issue. 

"  Signed  on  behalf  of  the  class, 

"  THEODORE  B.  LATHROP, 

"  WALTER  L.  FERRIS, 

"  ROBERT   BELL,   Secretary." 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   141 

From  the  Codex*  published  by  the  Class  of  1909, 
of  Beloit  College. 

DEDICATION. 

To  the  Memory  of  a  Loyal  Alumnus 

Who  Brought  Honor  to  Hit  College,  Who  Linked  Hit 

Endeavors  With  the  Class  of  1909,  in  the  Establishment 

of  a  Greater  Beloit,  and  Who  Gave  up  His  Life 

While  Striving  for  His  Alma  Mater, 

HENRY  DICKINSON   SMITH, 
This  Book  Is  Reverently  Dedicated. 


There  are  some  lives,  true  and  useful  ones,  which 
move  in  tranquil  ways,  with  measured  heart-beats,  to 
their  natural  and  foreseen  conclusion.  They  are  like 
long,  serene  summer  days.  There  are  other  lives  that 
are  eager,  tumultuous,  rushing,  throbbing  with  high 
purpose,  accomplishing  arduous  tasks  in  unexpected, 
even  catastrophic  ways.  They  are  like  rivers  sweeping 
in  torrents  and  haunted  with  the  sound  of  cataracts. 

There  is  no  question  as  to  which  of  these  two  types 
of  life  has  the  more  fascinating  interest  and  draws  us 
with  deeper  sympathy  to  generous  emulation.  It  is 
eagerness  that  makes  us  eager.  Profound  impulses  stir 

*The  Codex  is  a  college  record  book  published  by  every 
alternate  Junior  class.  The  volume  of  1909  was  in  part  a  me- 
morial to  Henry  Smith. 

The  students  of  the  college  purpose  to  offer  more  enduring 
testimony  to  the  worth  of  Henry  Smith's  character  and  influence 
and  to  their  loving  interest  in  his  memory  by  raising  a  monument 
over  his  grave. 


142   HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

our  hearts.  And  there  is  no  doubt  which  of  these  two 
represents  the  life  of  Henry  Dickinson  Smith. 

Preceding  him  was  a  long  line  of  ancestors  of  fine 
intellectual  and  spiritual  qualities  reaching  back  to  the 
great  brain  and  heart  of  Jonathan  Edwards.  Henry's 
father,  Dr.  Arthur  H.  Smith,  one  of  the  ablest  of  Be- 
loit's  graduates,  stands  easily  in  the  front  rank  of  emi- 
nent missionary  leaders  who  are  profoundly  affecting 
the  destinies  of  the  Chinese  Empire.  His  books  are  al- 
ready classical  authorities  on  Chinese  character  and  life, 
and  his  conversation  scintillates  with  brilliant  expres- 
sion of  insight  and  observation.  At  the  great  Cente- 
nary Conference  at  Shanghai  this  year,  the  two  pre- 
siding officers  being  chosen  to  represent  respectively 
Europe  and  America,  it  was  fitting  that  Dr.  Smith 
should  be  the  one  to  represent  our  continent.  Mrs. 
Smith,  too,  has  remarkable  power  of  concentrated  pur- 
pose and  graceful  and  graphic  expression,  beneath 
which  is  the  mystic  soul  with  unfathomable  depths  of 
self-devotion. 

Intensity  has  characterized  their  son's  life  through- 
out. In  infancy,  in  a  land  where  the  children  are  pat- 
terns of  tranquillity,  he  was  a  little  dynamo.  A  story 
is  told,  current  in  one  of  the  missionary  families  of 
Pang  Chuang,  which  suggests  in  the  child  the  qualities 
we  admired  in  the  young  man.  The  mules  kept  in  the 
mission  compound  for  the  purposes  of  evangelizing 
tours,  sometimes  broke  loose  and  stampeded  through 
the  premises,  causing  much  temporary  confusion.  After 
one  of  these  experiences,  little  Henry  said  very  earnestly 
to  a  grown-up  friend,  "  The  next  time  a  mule  does  that, 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   143 

I'll  get  a  big  stick  and  hit  him  a  *  'mendous  whack.' 
How  largely  his  life  was  made  up  of  emergencies  in 
the  midst  of  which  he  stood,  valiant  and  aflame,  dealing 
blows  with  all  his  might  at  antagonists  within  his  own 
soul  or  grappling  with  situations  or  competitors  in 
generous  but  tremendous  struggle! 

For  one  so  intense  as  he  was,  his  power  of  sinking 
himself  and  his  own  interest  in  some  larger  interest  and 
aim  was  little  less  than  marvellous,  and  made  him  both 
honored  and  beloved.  When  a  mere  lad  employed  as 
an  elevator  boy,  someone  in  the  basement  carelessly  sent 
the  elevator,  loaded  with  fragile  merchandise,  spinning 
up  to  the  top  of  a  high  building  at  a  perilous  speed. 
Henry  clung  to  the  ropes  regardless  of  the  imminent 
danger  to  himself,  was  carried  to  the  topmost  level, 
and  descended  safely  with  the  freight  unbroken.  In 
the  autumn  of  his  senior  year,  when  the  football  season 
seemed  darkening  to  disaster,  it  was  he  who  organized 
the  second  eleven,  and  so  held  them  together,  and  so 
flung  them  upon  the  college  team  that  the  latter  gained 
from  the  encounters  a  reinvigoration  which  carried 
them  to  victory.  The  winning  team  was  greeted  with 
well-deserved  plaudits;  it  was  enough  for  Henry  that 
his  exertion,  which  gained  him  no  distinction,  had  given 
the  team  the  means  of  triumphing,  and  so  had  brought 
honor  to  Old  Beloit. 

Disciplined  by  defeat  in  debates  of  preceding  years, 
his  senior  inter-collegiate  debate  was  characterized  by 
a  resistless  leadership  which  won  the  decision  and  lifted 
the  college  to  a  high  pitch  of  enthusiasm.  He  just 
missed  his  "  magna  cum  laude  "  by  his  devotion  to  these 


144  HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

interests  of  the  college;  but  he  made  the  sacrifice  with 
a  heart  single  to  the  wider  interest  he  was  serving,  re- 
gardless of  the  cost. 

Next  came  two  years  on  the  faculty  in  a  little  college 
in  the  far  West,  where  a  handful  of  students  became  the 
winners  in  contest  after  contest  in  oratory  and  debate 
under  the  inspiring  guidance  of  their  young  instructor. 
Then  he  was  called  to  the  service  at  Beloit  along  the 
lines  of  self-denying  labor,  at  the  same  time  that  he  was 
urged  to  enter  upon  business  openings  at  the  West, 
giving  fine  promise  of  larger  pecuniary  returns.  It 
was  the  day  of  ultimate  decisions.  He  turned  his  back 
upon  prospective  wealth  to  give  himself  to  the  college, 
and  eventually  to  the  work  for  the  great  and  needy  Em- 
pire of  China,  whose  call  to  him  grew  more  distinct  and 
imperative  witih  the  passing  years.  During  the  year  at 
Beloit,  he  delighted  on  returning  at  night  from  a  day 
devoted  to  college  business,  to  give  himself  until  the 
morning  to  studying  with  the  prospective  debaters  the 
question  chosen  for  their  contest;  and  no  team  which  he 
coached  failed  to  win  the  decision  of  the  judges. 

It  was  during  this  year  that  the  idea  of  a  Greater 
Beloit  took  possession  of  him.  How  he  inspired  stu- 
dents and  Alumni  with  his  project,  how  he  wrought  day 
and  night  throughout  the  summer  for  the  realization 
of  it,  and  how  the  entering  class  that  fall  registered  an 
increase  of  fifty  per  cent,  over  the  usual  Freshman  num- 
bers,— all  that  is  a  part  of  Beloit  history.  But  it  is 
not  generally  known  that  he  went  to  Yale  Divinity 
School  with  health  seriously  impaired  by  the  physical 
expenditures  of  his  summer's  campaign,  so  that  he  was 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   145 

gravely  warned  by  his  physician  of  the  peril  of  such 
lavish  giving  of  himself  even  in  such  a  cause.  It  is 
most  fitting  that  the  class  which  entered  Beloit  that 
year,  the  class  of  1909,  should  cherish  the  memory  of 
Henry  Smith  with  peculiar  affection,  regarding  it  as  in 
a  special  sense  their  own  possession.  May  it  not  be 
theirs  to  take  up  and  complete  the  wide  life  work  which 
was  in  the  horizon  of  his  thought  and  purpose. 

At  Yale  he  had  hardly  recovered  his  health  when  he 
was  chosen  as  one  of  the  contestants  in  the  Yale-Har- 
vard debate.  Again  his  whole  being  was  thrown  into 
the  effort;  an  embarrassing  illness  set  in;  but  on  the 
very  day  of  debate  he  regained  his  voice,  went  into  the 
struggle  with  every  power  keyed  to  the  highest  point, 
was  believed  by  Yale  to  have  won  the  debate, — but  lost 
the  verdict.  That  night  he  had  a  long  debate  with  an 
old  friend  upon  the  meaning  of  defeat.  It  was  no  easy 
task  for  him  to  give  up  anything  on  which  he  had  set 
his  soul.  He  felt  that  he  had  been  chosen,  not  merely 
to  do  his  best,  but  to  win,  and  that  without  the  verdict 
on  his  side  the  ideal  was  not  attained.  Through  what 
hard  struggles  he  obtained  self  mastery !  at  what  a  price 
he  gained  freedom! 

So  with  unconquerable  energy  he  came  back  once 
more  to  Beloit,  cherishing  a  vision  of  a  yet  greater 
Beloit.  He  pressed  impetuously  through  the  first  stage 
of  the  campaign,  and  went  to  Lake  Geneva  to  snatch 
a  few  days  rest  before  it  was  time  for  the  second  stage. 
There,  at  the  sight  of  a  young  life  in  peril,  he  flung 
himself  into  the  lake,  and  in  the  supreme  effort  to  save 
was  himself  overborne.  In  spite  of  all  the  resources  of 


146  HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

devotion  and  skill  lavished  upon  him  in  days  and  nights 
of  agonized  effort,  he  passed  beyond  the  reach  of  eager 
hands  and  the  sight  of  loving  eyes,  in  his  delirium  dic- 
tating letters  and  yet  more  letters  about  the  college,  of 
which  he  had  spoken  in  his  last  letter  to  his  parents  as 
the  dearest  place  in  all  America  to  him.  Could  a  young 
life  fulfill  more  completely  the  high  aspirations  which 
the  poet  has  imagined  for  us: 

"  In  some  good  cause,  not  in  mine  own, 
To  perish,  wept  for,  honored,  known, 
And  like  a  warrior  overthrown." 

But  not  to  perish.  Such  a  life  as  that  of  Henry  Dick- 
inson Smith  transcends  the  measure  of  the  local  and  the 
transitory.  It  requires  the  background  of  the  universe 
to  render  it  explicable,  and  eternity  for  its  field  of  ac- 
tion. Springing  from  a  far-reaching  and  widely  influ- 
ential past,  it  beckons  toward  a  life  worthy  of  its  hopes, 
its  struggles,  its  equipment  for  service.  Into  what 
ampler  opportunities,  what  larger  ministry,  what  higher 
leadership  our  friend  has  been  called  we  do  not  know, 
but  the  thought  of  him  challenges  us  to  look  forward, 
to  strive,  to  expect. 


LETTERS 


LETTERS   OF   HENRY'S   PARENTS 

FROM    DR.    SMITH 

It  is  such  an  unexpected  mercy  that  I  was  called  home 
as  I  was  and  that  I  was  able  to  be  with  him  for  longer 
or  shorter  periods  at  ten  different  times,  and  get  to 
know  him.  He  was  indeed  a  dynamo  of  energy  and 
gave  promise  of  the  largest  usefulness.  It  must  have 
been  some  other  and  very  important  work  to  which  the 
Lord  merely  transferred  him,  and  we  can  not  think  that 
he  is  not  as  energetic  and  as  fully  occupied  there  as 
here.  The  college  will  doubtless  know  how  to  conserve 
his  influence  in  wise  ways,  and  his  name  will  be  asso- 
ciated with  a  phrase  which  he  originated  and  the  work 
which  he  instituted.  It  was  a  great  mercy  that  Mr. 
Merritt  could  be  present  at  the  first  service  and  also  at 
the  later  one.  Professor  Stevens,  of  the  Yale  faculty, 
and  Henry  will  have  opportunity  to  meet  so  much  sooner 
there  than  here  than  either  of  them  expected.  There  is 
his  dear  sister  and  his  Grandma  Dickinson  and  so  many 
others,  more  there  than  here.  It  will  not  be  very  long 
either  before  we  shall  be  united.  His  mother  is  strong 
and  brave  as  she  always  is,  and  we  face  the  future 
without  fear. 

We  have  been  speaking  about  the  advisability  of 
a  memorial  volume  about  Henry.  The  idea  would  be 
a  sketch  of  his  life  work  and  numerous  extracts  from 
the  letters  we  have  received,  such  as  to  illustrate  that 

149 


150  HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

work.  We  do  not  want  any  flattery,  any  disguises 
of  the  devious  ways  by  which  he  came  into  bright 
light,  or  the  fact  that  he  used  up  more  of  his  nervous 
force  than  he  could  spare,  leaving  far  too  little  reserve. 
We  have  received  thus  far  in  this  month  one  hundred 
and  twenty-two  letters,  and  there  must  be  many  more 
to  come.  They  are  full  of  the  most  beautiful  thoughts 
in  the  most  beautiful  language — a  moral  and  spiritual 
comfort,  a  marvel  of  inspired  expression — meaning  the 
impartation  of  consolation  and  strength.  I  should  like 
to  have  you  understand  how  we  feel  about  this  sorrow, 
or  at  least  to  get  our  point  of  view.  Many  hundreds, 
probably  many  thousands,  had  been  praying  for  us, 
long  before  we  knew  there  was  any  special  emergency. 
The  Lord  sent  me  to  America  when  I  was  averse  to 
go.  The  Lord  brought  Emma  here  when  it  seemed 
as  if  she  could  not  come.  The  work  that  Henry  was 
doing,  was  going  to  do,  we  knew,  everybody  could  com- 
prehend; why  it  was  suddenly  stopped,  nobody  could 
comprehend.  We  were  being  conscious  of  being  carried 
over  the  swamps  of  doubt  and  darkness  on  the  wings 
of  angels,  as  we  should  be  if  we  crossed  the  Tai  Hang 
mountains  into  Shansi  in  a  balloon,  instead  of  bumping 
over  the  stones  of  the  Ku  Kuan  pass.  We  were  greatly 
surprised,  we  were  disappointed,  but  we  were  not  stunned 
or  for  a  moment  overwhelmed.  Why  should  we  be?  If 
the  Lord  who  took  him  from  China  to  America,  from 
Oakland  to  Beloit,  from  Beloit  to  Forest  Grove  and  back 
again,  then  to  Yale,  then  pro  tern  to  Beloit,  and  then 
into  the  vastly  new  and  larger  sphere  of  action  instead 
of  to  Yale  by  the  steps  we  thought  of,  what  is  there 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   151 

about  the  last  that  should  disturb  the  balance  or  poise 
of  our  lives,  of  our  trust,  our  certainty,  that  this  is  the 
best  thing  for  him  now,  for  us,  for  the  North  China 
Mission,  for  everybody.  Instead  of  finding  or  feeling 
that  this  is  strange,  it  seems  strange  not  to  feel  so.  His 
work  is  finished — the  last  touch  to  what  is  now  the  com- 
pleted picture.  It  can  never  be  undone  or  diminished, 
it  is  ours  forever.  We  rejoice  that  the  Lord  gave  us 
two  such  children — that  He  thought  them  worthy  to  be 
used  earlier  than  we  had  thought  and  longer.  We  have 
no  "  grief  "  whatever,  at  most  only 

A  feeling  of  sadness  and  longing 

That  is  not  akin  to  pain; 
And  resembles  sorrow  only 

As  the  mist  resembles  rain." 

This  hill  has  been  to  us  a  mountain  of  blessing  and  of 
the  presence  of  the  Lord.  Wherever  we  are  the  Lord  is 
leading,  will  lead  us.  The  first  Sunday  after  the  news, 
in  the  Ku  Ling  church,  they  sang  that  familiar  hymn 
of  Faber's,  and  some  of  the  verses  come  back  to  us — 
home  to  us,  as  never  before: 

"  He  always  wins  who  fights  for  God, 

To  him  there's  nothing  lost; 
His  will  is  sweetest  to  him  when 
It  triumphs  at  his  cost." 

A  full  setting  of  this  experience  cannot  be  told.  We  are 
sure  it  will  mean  so  much  to  the  college,  to  the  classes 
whom  he  was  the  means  of  gathering,  and  as  E.  P.  Sal- 
mon, says,  "  to  fresh  generations  of  students,  among 


152   HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

whom  he  will  always  be  a  living  tradition,  and  so  it  will 
go  on  forever  and  forever." 

FROM    DR.    AND   MRS.    SMITH 

RULING,  September  26,  1906. 
BELOVED  FRIENDS  : 

We  have  measured  your  love  by  the  wonderful  an- 
swers to  prayer  in  our  hearts  these  days  on  this  moun- 
tain-top with  God,  and  with  new-born  sorrow. 

We  want  you  all  to  know  of  God's  wonderful  good- 
ness to  us.  Let  us  go  back  and  trace  the  steps.  On 
October  19,  1905,  Mr.  Smith  left  P'ang  Chuang  for  his 
travels  over  the  Celestial  Empire  to  see  missions  for  him- 
self, while  Mrs.  Smith  broke  up  the  home  and  went  to 
work  in  the  new  parish  of  Lin  Ch'ing.  A  few  weeks 
later  came  the  request  to  go  to  America  and  help  in  the 
million-dollar  campaign.  He  shrank  exceedingly  from 
this,  and  felt  sure  he  was  not  the  man,  and  longed  in- 
stead to  go  on  with  his  work  in  China. 

He  yielded  to  the  pressure  and  went.  He  was  hurried 
past  his  life-long  missionary  friend,  Dr.  Porter,  whom 
he  sorely  longed  to  see,  to  New  England,  where  the 
leisure  between  his  various  engagements  permitted  him 
ten  brief  visits  with  dear  Henry.  He  had  not  seen  his 
boy  for  almost  eleven  years.  He  had  left  him  a  small, 
unformed  laddie.  He  found  him  a  man  full-grown,  a 
student  in  the  Yale  Divinity  School  at  New  Haven.  We 
had  thought  of  a  vacation  after  the  Missionary  Con- 
ference of  1907.  We  did  not  see  Henry  graduate  from 
college,  but  perhaps  we  might  from  his  theological 
course.  How  good  our  Father  was !  How  much  those 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   153 

visits  meant  at  the  time!  How  beyond  all  price  their 
memory  now!  There  were  years  of  arrears  to  be  made 
up.  As  Henry  wrote  back  gayly  to  his  mother :  "  Papa 
talks  250  words  a  minute,  and  so  do  I,  and  that  makes 
500,  but  there  aren't  minutes  enough !  " 

He  also  said,  with  boyish  exaggeration,  meant  only 
for  a  mother's  eye,  that  at  one  place  where  Papa  was 
especially  rapid,  Henry  enjoyed  seeing  people  leaning 
over  the  galleries  lest  they  lose  one  word.  The  record 
of  Henry's  work  and  the  kind  words  said  of  him  made 
his  father's  eyes  shine.  Seven  times  he  made  his  son 
short  visits  in  New  Haven,  thus  coming  into  touch  with 
his  theological  friends  and  professors. 

Again  the  boy  wrote :  "  I  was  mighty  proud  to  have 
all  my  friends  meet  Papa."  Twice,  in  New  York  and 
Brooklyn,  delightful  new  circles  of  friends  welcomed 
father  and  son,  and  added  to  their  joys,  while  Henry's 
dear,  beloved  friend,  ex-President  Eaton,  brought  about 
a  delightful  reunion,  by  having  Henry  go  with  his  father 
to  the  missionary  meeting  at  Dr.  Eaton's  church  at  St. 
Johnsbury,  Vt.  Twelve  years  ago,  realizing  sharply 
that  our  little  man  had  many  temptations  to  meet,  and 
that  we  had  not  been  all  we  should  be  as  guides,  we 
knelt  and  gave  him  to  God,  agreeing  to  keep  our  hands 
off  and  remember  whose  boy  he  was  henceforth. 

The  Father  took  us  at  our  word.  When  we  wished 
Henry  to  keep  pace  with  a  friend  and  enter  college  very 
young,  his  heart  turned  instead  to  business.  It  was 
God's  choice  and  vindicated  itself  at  once,  by  better 
appetite,  better  sleep,  and  fine  physical  development. 
Into  that  business  he  went  with  all  his  might.  It  was  a 


154   HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

humble  occupation  and  a  child's  might,  but  even  there 
he  was  faithful.  He  was  the  elevator-boy,  and  when  one 
day  a  careless  hand  in  the  basement  sent  an  elevator 
load  of  fragile  things  spinning  up,  at  a  speed  which 
threatened  to  smash  them  all,  Henry  hung  on  to  the 
ropes  with  all  his  strength,  and  was  carried  up  to  the 
lofty  ceiling  and  came  down  safely  with  nothing  broken ! 

His  mother  was  easy  about  him  at  noon,  as  the  em- 
ployees all  had  lunch  in  the  store.  Fancy  her  sensa- 
tions when  he  told  her  one  day,  in  his  frank  way,  that 
he  had  become  very  tired  of  the  meals  there,  and  had 
been  around  sampling  all  the  nearest  city  restaurants, 
drinks  and  all,  and  did  not  like  them  at  all! 

Always  he  was  kept.  More  than  once  his  head  was  in 
the  elevator  shaft  at  a  very  dangerous  moment.  Once, 
trying  a  friend's  bicycle  before  he  had  learned  to  ride, 
he  could  not  guide  or  stop  it,  and  ran  directly  in  front 
of  an  electric  car!  A  few  minutes  later  a  very  white 
boy  came  back  pushing  a  very  wrecked  bicycle. 

When  high-school  days  were  over,  and  the  big  showy 
universities  beckoned  with  siren  finger,  God  led  HIS  BOY 
to  the  small  Christian  college  with  its  blessed  Christian 
atmosphere,  and  to  the  dear  town,  where  people  were 
so  kind  to  him,  for  Grandma's  sake,  and  Uncle  Henry 
Dickinson's,  and  Papa's. 

From  college  one  looks  ahead.  One  day  he  had  a  view 
down  a  Golden  Lane.  It  looked  very  inviting  indeed  to 
the  boy,  to  whom  money  meant  power  to  do  many  large 
and  fine  things.  He  thought  it  over  gravely,  and  for 
weeks  was  allured  almost  to  his  undoing,  but  his  good 
angel  never  left  him,  and  he  turned  his  back  on  this 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   155 

most  tempting  business  offer,  and  decided  for  a  theo- 
logical course  at  Yale. 

One  of  his  parents  shrank  exceedingly  from  having 
him  play  football,  but  he  was  not  our  boy  and  we  left 
him  free.  He  played,  and  won  his  little  laurels  there, 
and  came  out  with  all  his  bones  whole,  and  a  physique 
which  made  us  praise  God  for  overruling  our  fears. 

We  coveted  him  for  mission  work,  but  we  held  our 
peace.  And  he  was  sure  he  was  "  not  fit."  One  of  his 
parents  said  one  day,  "  Dear  Lord,  if  Thou  should'st 
call  Thy  boy  to  work  in  the  darkest  corner  of  Africa 
and  we  never  see  his  face  more — Thy  will  be  done." 

Slowly,  gently,  gradually  it  came,  but  the  decision 
was  final.  He  must  help  China.  He  did  not  see  the 
mighty  under-tow  that  brought  him  into  that  harbor. 
Years  before  the  women  of  our  Chinese  church  had  set 
their  hearts  on  it  and  had  taken  "  no  rest "  and  given 
God  "no  rest"  about  it. 

The  mission  heard  with  joy,  and  at  the  last  meeting 
held  out  loving  arms  of  welcome  to  him  and  to  Lucius 
Porter,  his  life-long  friend.  We  fondly  thought  there 
might  be  another  David  and  Jonathan  in  the  North 
China  Mission,  "  two  hearts  that  beat  as  one,"  but  "  my 
thoughts  are  not  your  thoughts." 

His  heart  had  come  to  be  right  loyal  and  loving  to 
Yale.  He  longed  exceedingly  to  win  one  little  laurel 
wreath  for  his  theological  friends.  He  went  into  the 
debate  between  Yale  and  Harvard  in  "  Municipal  Own- 
ership." He  fought  his  way  heroically  through  moun- 
tains of  extra  hard  work,  and  through  a  harassing  ill- 
ness of  two  weeks,  which  kept  him  in  his  room  and  made 


156   HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

Mm  miss  many  recitations.  Specialists  pulled  him 
through,  he  recovered  his  voice  the  very  day  of  the 
debate,  went  into  it  with  all  his  soul — and  lost  it! 

Chastening  after  chastening  had  come  so.  He  seemed 
to  himself  to  win  everything  he  ever  gained  as  a  foot- 
hold through  ghastly  defeats.  But  the  next  time  found 
him  dauntless  as  ever,  and  just  as  intense. 

Beloved  child!  As  a  baby  in  arms  he  was  a  little 
dynamo.  The  other  baby  born  in  the  same  house  at 
the  same  time  kicked  leisurely  and  methodically,  one 
foot,  then  the  other.  Henry  always  kicked  as  hard  as 
he  could,  and  with  both  feet  at  once.  Dear  Heart  of 
Fire !  His  lamp  could  not  be  turned  down,  and  his  en- 
gine was  built  without  brakes,  and  so,  for  sweet  Ruth 
Macumber,  and  for  his  beloved  Beloit,  the  dearest  place 
in  all  America,  as  his  last  letter  had  said,  that  lamp  has 
burned  its  last  drop  of  oil! 

The  Great  Livingstone  died  on  his  knees,  praying  for 
Africa.  Our  boy,  our  "  Honey  Bee,"  from  the  humble 
little  far-away  village  home  in  China,  passed  over  the 
dark  river,  dictating  more  letters  and  ever  more,  to  win 
more  boys  to  his  beloved  Alma  Mater. 

And  so  our  Darling  has  skipped  the  missionary  grade 
where  we  thought  his  education  would  be  still  finer,  and 
has  received  his  promotion. 

And  what  of  us?  His  mother  after  a  year  of  espe- 
cially strenuous  missionary  work  was  with  great  diffi- 
culty persuaded  to  come  down  to  Central  China  for  a 
two  months'  vacation,  as  it  seemed  likely  we  might  not 
meet  again  for  many  months,  and  we  had  already  been 
parted  a  year.  She  left  the  Shantung  church,  praying 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   157 

•for  a  great  blessing  on  their  meeting;  a  mighty  new 
infilling  with  the  Holy  Spirit! 

On  the  14th  of  September,  after  a  hard  journey,  dur- 
ing which  in  a  collision  her  steamer  was  stove  in  aft, 
and  they  might  so  easily  have  all  been  drowned,  she 
reached  Kiukiang,  and  set  eyes  once  more  on  Henry's 
father.  What  a  joy  it  was  to  talk  over  the  visits  with 
the  boy.  How  we  read  and  re-read  his  last  bright 
earnest  letters,  full  of  his  stenographers  and  his  new 
pamphlets,  and  his  grief  over  Professor  Stevens,  and 
his  plans  for  China.  Next  day  we  climbed  the  magni- 
ficent heights  of  Kuling,  where  we  were  to  rest  together 
— an  ideal  plan,  with  such  scenery,  quiet,  cool  and  se- 
cluded. Upon  Mr.  Smith's  table  lay  a  telegram  from 
Peking :  "  Love,  Sympathy,  Prayers.  Porters,  Shef- 
fields." 

The  swift  thought  flashed  through  my  mind  and 
came  to  my  lips,  "  Henry  has  been  drowned !  "  I  put 
it  aside.  Three  people  had  just  been  drowned  here  in 
China,  and  I  thought  that  suggested  it.  We  stood  and 
looked  into  each  other's  eyes,  and  Henry's  Father  said: 
"  Whatever  this  news  is  we  are  not  afraid — are  we, 
dear?  "  and  Henry's  mother  thought  of  what  was  sung 
at  Marie's  funeral,  and  said: 


"  I  cannot  fear  Thee,  blessed  Will, 
Thine  empire  is  so  sweet." 


On  Tuesday,  the  18th,  a  whole  sheaf  of  letters  from 
four  different  States  brought  us  the  news ;  to  the  Father 
first.  He  broke  it  to  the  Mother  when  she  came  in 
from  her  nap.  The  human  Mother  was  stunned  for  a 


158   HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

moment  and  slowly  faltered,  "  But — he — was — all — we 
— had — left."  For  one  second  it  was  impossible,  in- 
credible. "  No,"  corrected  a  gentle  voice,  "  we  have 
each  other."  In  an  instant  she  remembered — God,  and 
her  constant  motto  came  at  once  to  her  lips.  "  It's  all 
right.  Praise  God  any  way." 

Beloved,  your  prayers  have  not  been  in  vain.  God 
has  held  us  on  that  table-land  ever  since,  not  asking 
"  Why?  "  not  crushed,  not  even  "  dumb,  because  Thou 
did'st  it,"  but  praising  Him,  with  each  fresh  pang,  as 
we  bury  hope  after  hope.  He  pours  the  balm  in,  and 
we  are  comforted  again  at  once  and  are  strong,  and 
the  praise  wells  up  anew. 

If  the  secretaries  had  cabled  us  the  mother  would 
have  received  it  alone  in  the  midst  of  intense  heat  and 
hard  work,  and  feeling  more  weary  than  for  years.  God 
guided  the  kind  hearts  to  withhold  it.  We  thank  Him 
— and  them. 

We  thank  God  for  royal  love  and  hospitality  from 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  here. 

The  few  friends  left  up  here  have  been  lovely  in 
their  sympathy;  the  majestic  beauty  around  keeps  us 
close  to  God.  The  long  walks  invigorate.  Every  hour 
together  is  so  sweet,  so  precious.  Last  night's  mail 
brought  twenty  letters,  from  the  Secretaries,  the  Presi- 
dent of  Beloit  College,  his  Professors,  his  friends  and 
ours.  We  were  humbled  and  almost  astounded  as  we 
read  them.  Was  it  our  child  of  whom  they  spoke  such 
wonderful  words?  Oh,  thank  God  that  we  had  any- 
thing so  precious  to  give  Him!  " 

Who   are  we  that  we  should  be  so  honored ! 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   159 

And  now  for  our  "  new  China,"  that  so  sorely  needs 
alert,  devoted,  self -sacrificing  lives!  O  beginnings  of 
the  Greater  Beloit!  Precious,  dearly-bought  classes  of 
1909  and  1910,  we  look  to  you.  Who  will  step  into 
that  vacant  place,  close  up  the  ranks,  and  march 
with  us? 

By  the  pain,  by  the  costly  sacrifice,  by  the  long  years 
we  must  wait  to  hear  again  his  dear  voice  say :  "  Father," 
"  Mother,"  we  charge  you,  PRAY  FOR  CHINA  ALWAYS. 

Mrs.  Browning  wrote: 

"Dead!  Both  my  boys!' 
One  of  them  shot  in  East  by  the  sea, 
And  one  of  them  shot  by  the  sea  in  the  West! 
If  you  want  a  great  song  for  your  Italy  free, 
Let  none  look  to  me!" 

On  the  suimy  slope  of  beautiful  "  Mountain-view," 
in  Oakland,  Cal.,  lies  the  daughter  whose  every  heart- 
beat was  for  China,  who  lived — in  America — only  to 
get  through  her  studies  and  hasten  back  to  her  dear 
adopted  home;  asleep  by  the  sea  in  the  west. 

In  the  city  of  his  love,  our  dear  Beloit,  lies  the  boy 
who  was  to  have  moulded  lives  perchance  in  the  T'ung 
Chou  college ;  asleep  in  the  east  by  the  lake. 

And  yet  our  song  is  ready. 

A  few  more  beautiful  days  together  and  we  two  must 
part  again.  The  precious  books  that  are  to  help  China 
must  be  written.  That  means  for  their  author  a  city 
and  libraries. 

Two  hungry,  needy  parishes  are  already  pulling  on 
heart  strings.  (How  their  tears  will  be  flowing  for 
us  at  this  moment!) 


160  HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

Their  prayers  will  soon  woo  one  of  us  back  to  work, 
while  the  other  goes  on  his  way  alone. 

We  thought  of  all  that  this  morning,  as  we  climbed 
the  hill,  and  then  we  looked  at  each  other  and  said — 
"Hallelujah!" 

Give  God  all  the  glory,  and  for  the  unstinted 
and  exhausting  kindness  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Collie  through 
those  three  days,  for  her  heroic  fight  to  save  the  pre- 
cious life,  for  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  workers  who  toiled  all 
day  by  her  side,  for  the  college  chapel  full  of  sympa- 
thizing friends,  for  the  kind  words  said  then  of  our 
Beloved,  for  the  lovely  decorations  and  the  beautiful 
music  by  the  Treble-clef  Club,  and  for  kind  Miss  Bro- 
der's  cemetery  guest-room  for  our  Dead,  until  he  find 
his  last  home,  we  thank  God  and  bless  you. 

We  thank  a  kind  Heaven  that  sent  to  stand  by  that 
casket  one  ownest  own,  the  far-away  dear  "  Uncle 
Will."  (Rev.  W.  C.  Merritt,  who  married  Marie  Dick- 
inson.) 

As  the  letters  pour  in  by  the  score,  how  we  praise 
God  for  them.  Surely  never  before  had  mourners  such 
wise,  taught-of-God  Comforters ! 

Ever  yours,  for  Christ, 

For  China 
and 
Beloit, 

EMMA  DICKINSON  SMITH, 
ARTHUR  H.  SMITH. 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   161 

"  Bless  the  Lord  Who  crowneth  thee  with  loving  kindness  and 
tender  mercies." 

RULING,  KIANGSI,  October,  1906. 

MY  DEAR  FRIEND: 

Thank  you  so  much  for  your  very  kind  letter.  Our 
sorrow  has  opened  a  Golconda  mine  of  friends,  such  wise, 
sweet,  comforting  letters!  So  many  beautiful  souls, 
who  have  come  out  of  God  only  knows  what  Geth- 
semanes  themselves,  and  have  dwelt  thereafter  "  in  the 
secret  place  of  the  Most  High."  They  know  how  to 
comfort.  Praise  God  for  them !  The  long  printed  let- 
ter will  tell  you  general  details.  There  has  been  no  re- 
action. We  are  still  steady,  and  brave,  and  triumph- 
ant. We  hope  some  time  to  have  a  memorial  volume 
of  Henry's  life.  But  just  now  would  you  like  to  share 
with  us  some  of  the  b«tlm  God  has  poured  into  sore 
hearts,  making  them  praise  Him  even  in  the  fires? 

Ex-President  Eaton  said: 

"  Dear  Henry,  he  is,  and  always  will  be,  very  dear 
to  us.  So  noble  a  heart,  so  knightly  a  spirit.  Such 
dauntless  courage  upspringing  invincibly  in  the  face  of 
temporary  defeat.  Such  almost  resistless  energy ;  and 
a  capacity  for  enthusiasm  for  the  best  things  that  was 
the  very  soul  of  leadership.  His  loyalty  and  affection 
are  among  my  life's  most  sacred  treasures."  "  I  thought 
any  missionary  board  was  to  be  congratulated  upon  the 
opportunity  to  secure  such  a  recruit,  and  now  God  has 
taken  him  through  the  gateway  of  a  last  supreme  self- 
devotion.  God  grant  that  many  another  young  son  of 
Beloit  may  be  truer  and  more  heroic  because  of  the  in- 
spiration Henry  has  imparted  in  his  swift  and  eager 
life  of  service." 


162   HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

Dr.  N.  B.  Hillis,  pastor  of  Plymouth  Church,  wrote : 
"  No  event  for  years  has  so  overwhelmed  me.  Some 
time  ago  I  became  acquainted  with  the  work  that  Henry 
was  doing  among  the  college  students.  His  enterprise 
was  new  to  me,  and  as  I  looked  into  it  I  found  hope  for 
the  future — and  now  comes  the  end  of  all  hope  for  his 
continued  work  here.  He  was  one  from  whom  his  father 
and  mother  could  never  have  expected  too  much.  The 
early  death  of  a  gifted  boy  is  one  of  life's  darkest 
problems.  Had  I  known  of  his  death  and  funeral,  I 
would  at  any  cost  have  made  a  long  j  ourney ,  a  pilgrim- 
age, to  stand  by  his  bier  and  represent  Plymouth  Church 
and  the  multitude  of  friends  you  have  made  in  this 
country,  and  by  this  simple  act  to  have  testified  at  least 
to  the  profound  sympathy  and  sorrow  that  I  have  for 
his  father  and  mother." 

Professor  Robert  Chapin  of  Beloit  College  wrote : 
"  I  have  rejoiced  greatly  in  his  intellectual  brilliancy; 
his  wonderful  energy,  his  ability  in  leadership,  would 
have  won  for  him  distinction  in  whatever  channel  they 
were  directed.  I  think  that  no  one  ever  handed  in  to 
me  so  complete  a  note-book  on  American  history  as 
his.  I  thought  that  he  was  making  a  splendid  gift  to 
China." 

Mr.  E.  P.  Salmon,  one  of  the  trustees,  said : 
"  '  If  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto 
you.'  By  his  very  death  Christ's  Spirit  actually  passed 
into  the  disciples.  It's  something  so  in  the  death  of  our 
loved  ones.  Our  immortality  stretches  both  ways,  on 
into  the  future,  and  back  into  the  present,  until  the 
present  becomes  the  past.  Henry  has  actually  entered 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   163 

into  the  life  of  Beloit  College  in  this  way,  and  is  one  of 
our  Immortals.  You  can  hardly  realize  what  he  has 
been  to  Beloit  College,  and  now  the  impression  is  grow- 
ing stronger  and  stronger.  We  shall  have  a  special 
memorial  service  for  him.  I  doubt  not  his  spirit  will 
take  possession  of  us  all  as  never  before." 

Rev.  Robert  C.  Bedford  of  the  class  of  '72,  Beloit, 
says: 

"  His  creation  of  the  '  Greater  Beloit '  will  become  a 
familiar  story,  and  will  pass  into  the  splendid  traditions 
of  the  College  to  the  end  of  time,  and  so  he  will  live  in 
his  works  though  we  call  him  dead." 

Dr.  Josiah  Strong  writes : 

"  My  heart  is  broken  for  you  and  your  wife.  Such  a 
death  seems  so  needless  and  such  a  waste.  I  am  told 
your  son  was  the  most  brilliant  and  the  most  promising 
young  man  that  had  been  in  Yale  Seminary  for  many 
years.  Surely  his  service  will  be  rendered  when  it  is 
most  needed.  I  love  to  think,  therefore,  that  perhaps 
he  will  do  more  for  the  world  now  than  had  he  remained 
in  the  flesh. 

"  And  this  we  are  sure  of,  that  a  heroic,  self-sacrific- 
ing death  like  his  must  have  a  profound  influence  for 
good  on  others.  It  may  have  been  precisely  the  one 
thing  needed  to  change  the  character  and  life  of  some 
who  knew  him.  I  do  not  want  my  dearest  friends  to 
explain  to  me ;  I  like  to  give  proof  of  absolute  confidence 
by  declining  an  explanation.  Perhaps  we  shall  not 
care  to  claim  the  fulfillment  of  the  promise,  *  Thou  shalt 
know  hereafter,'  because  our  confidence  in  God  has  been 
perfected." 


164   HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH 

Rev.  Cephas  Clapp  of  Forest  Grove,  Ore.,  whose 
children  were  Henry's  pupils  in  elocution,  wrote: 

"  Sometimes  I  think  that  the  early  death  of  Bishop 
Hannington  and  McKay  accomplished  more  than  a  long 
life  could  have  done.  Who  can  say  but  that  a  score  or 
more  of  earnest  young  people  may  be  stimulated  to 
take  up  the  work.  My  children  thought  him  to  have  a 
willingness  to  work  and  sacrifice  himself  for  his  pupils 
with  an  abandon  that  knew  no  bounds.  He  gave  them 
not  only  good  measure,  pressed  down  and  running  over, 
but  he  gave  them  everything  that  was  in  him.  He 
seemed  to  teach  each  pupil  as  if  there  was  something 
in  them  worth  bringing  out,  and  he  was  determined  to 
bring  it  out,  cost  what  it  might  to  him.  He  spared 
no  pains,  counted  no  cost  to  his  time  and  strength,  made 
each  pupil  a  separate  study.  He  criticised  with  care- 
fulness and  yet  with  consideration.  He  showed  them 
their  faults  in  style  and  finish,  but  they  were  not  dis- 
couraged. They  will  have  reason  to  be  grateful  to 
him  all  their  lives.  The  Master  does  not  do  all  His 
work  with  mortals.  May  the  Master  give  you  Himself. 
You  gave  Him  a  beautiful  accomplished  daughter,  one 
who  will  be  a  bright  and  shining  star  in  the  galaxy  of 
Heaven;  and  now  you  have  given  Him  all  that  you 
had  left — your  only  son — there  remains  nothing  more 
to  sacrifice.  You  have  laid  it  all  on  the  altar.  But 
do  not  for  a  moment  think  that  you  have  placed  the 
Lord  under  obligations  from  which  He  cannot  free  Him- 
self. Trust  Him  for  that.  He  will  not  leave  you  His 
debtor.  Sometime,  somewhere,  here  or  up  yonder,  He 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   165 

will  compel  you  to  break  forth  into  thanksgiving  and 
praise,  and  hallelujah. 

"  Uganda,  in  Central  Africa,  is  being  won  for  Christ 
by  men  who  have  volunteered  because  others  had  fallen. 
Your  beloved  China  may  be  enriched  by  many  soldiers 
because  your  boy  was  taken.  At  any  rate,  you  have 
your  two  treasures  laid  up  in  Heaven.  Your  hearts 
are  already  there,  and  when  your  work  here  is  com- 
pleted you  will  join  them  in  a  still  more  glorious  work." 

He  did!  He  has!  How  can  we  ever  thank  Him 
enough  for  the  tidal  wave  of  prayer  that  has  buoyed  us 
up,  floated  us  on  our  rocky  grief,  and  now  bears  us 
back  strong  and  willing  to  our  widely  separated  work. 
God  is  so  good.  Here  more  than  4000  feet  above  the 
sea,  and  400  above  nearly  all  neighbors,  we  have  had 
Him  and  each  other.  We  have  never  had  such  a  rest 
and  visit  in  nine  years !  Our  beloved  Chinese  parish 
have  wept  and  loved  and  fasted  over  us  so  tenderly. 
The  evangelist  wrote  to  us  in  his  quaint  Chinese  way : 
"  The  young  teacher  Ming  (Henry)  was  one  day 
sporting  in  the  water,  joyfully.  Just  then,  all  of  a 
sudden,  the  Lord  Jesus  came  and  stood  by  the  lake  and 
noted  how  well  they  were  doing  it.  His  heart  went  to 
them  with  great  love.  Although  it  was  doing  them  so 
much  good  to  be  there,  as  He  thought  of  it,  after  all, 
that  was  not  as  good  as  for  them  to  go  to  his  Peace- 
Joy-Garden  (Heaven)  and  disport  themselves.  They 
would  enjoy  themselves  better  than  ever  there.  So  it 
came  about  that  the  loving,  loving  Jesus  led  them  away. 


166  HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

"  When  the  young  teacher  saw  Jesus,  his  whole  heart 
went  out  to  Him  in  love,  and  he  was  delighted  to  go 
with  Him.  As  they  passed  the  lake,  a  mournful  hymn, 
like  a  dirge,  floated  back  to  them.  It  was  his  young 
brothers  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  But  ahead  they  soon  saw 
a  great  multitude  of  angels  who  had  come  out  to  meet 
him,  and  they  sang  a  new  song,  and  these  were  the 
words,  '  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord.  They 
rest  from  their  labors  and  their  works  do  follow  them.' 
The  joy  that  those  two  have  (Henry  and  Ruth)  every 
day  and  always  with  the  Lord  Jesus  is  past  all  telling. 
We  people  on  this  side  the  water  though,  detained  for 
a  while,  cannot  refrain  from  scattering  our  tears — but 
after  all — we  are  going  to  them  and  we  too  shall  have 
that  unspeakable  joy." 

A  Beloit  College  friend,  Mr.  Lewis,  wrote  to  a  friend 
of  his  and  ours  as  follows : 

"  It  seems  so  impossible.  Almost  anyone  ought  to 
have  been  taken  in  preference  to  Henry.  He  was  so  full 
of  energy  and  ambition,  so  willing  to  give  himself  for 
others.  Beloit  College  has  lost  one  of  her  noblest  sons, 
and  one  who  was  doing  more  for  her  than  almost  any- 
one else  could  do.  As  President  Eaton  expressed  it, 
'  the  earth  has  suffered  a  loss.'  I  had  learned  to  think 
a  great  deal  of  him  and  have  been  strengthened  in  every 
way  by  knowing  him.  I  am  glad  to  have  known  him 
and  I  feel  that  his  death  was  fully  typical  of  his  whole 
life,  the  giving  of  himself  for  others.  I  want  to  bear 
your  sorrow  with  you,  and  to  rejoice  with  you  in  the 
memory  of  his  life  and  his  character." 

Mrs.  Professor  Frank  C.  Porter  of  New  Haven  said : 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   167 

"  We  were  very  proud  of  his  success  as  a  debater. 
He  did  the  whole  work  for  the  team  and  was  altogether 
the  most  brilliant  debater  on  either  side.  The  Seminary 
felt  a  great  pride  in  him.  Then  he  did  so  much  for  his 
class.  In  the  spring  he  did  that  fine  piece  of  work  for 
us  in  the  little  pamphlet,  '  Why  Choose  Yale  Divinity 
School  ? '  His  loss  is  a  great  one  to  the  Seminary  alone. 
He  would  have  been  of  inestimable  help  in  the  next  two 
years.  New  Year's  night  at  the  Seminary  he  perfectly 
convulsed  everybody  by  his  wit  and  flow  of  language. 
"  But  his  prospective  loss  to  the  service  of  the  world 
is  a  still  greater  one,  for  he  had  immense  possibilities 
of  usefulness  before  him.  It  is  a  comfort  to  think  how 
he  had  given  all  his  splendid  talents  to  the  service  of 
God." 

Professor  Frank  C.  Porter's  estimate  is  below: 
"  He  impressed  us  as  a  man  not  only  of  very  bril- 
liant intellectual  capacities,  but  as  one  who  had  a  rare 
ability  to  concentrate  himself  upon  the  task  in  hand, 
and  work  at  it  with  eagerness  and  energy;  and  also  a 
still  more  rare  unselfishness  of  devotion  to  the  cause 
or  the  person  that  claimed  his  service.  He  never  spared 
himself,  and  seemed  not  to  let  the  thought  of  himself 
have  a  place  in  his  plans  and  efforts.  He  had  con- 
tributed a  great  deal  to  the  life  of  the  Divinity  School 
during  his  year  with  us.  Such  a  life  has  done  a  great 
service  on  earth,  and  is  fitted  for  the  greater  service 
in  the  realms  of  God's  great  Kingdom." 
From  Henry's  Uncle,  Rev.  Wm.  C.  Merritt: 
"  The  one  word  that  best  describes  Henry's  character 
to  myself  is — intense,  and  he  was  so  in  a  large  and  fruit- 


168   HENRY    DICKINSON    SMITH 

f ul  way.  As  President  and  Mrs.  Collie  said :  '  Many 
men  at  seventy  have  not  accomplished  what  Henry  has 
at  twenty-five ! '  We  had  a  wonderfully  illuminating 
sermon  this  A.  M.  on  the  life,  training,  and  work  of 
Moses.  It  closed  with  *  when  you  are  ready  for  it  your 
bush  will  burn,  if  not  here  in  this  world,  yet  in  God's 
world.9  So  it  is,  and  Henry  will  yet  do  his  work  for 
God — where  God  wants  him." 

From  Mrs.  E.  R.  Wagner,  San  Jose,  Cal. : 

"  Henry  made  us  a  precious  visit  three  years  ago, 
and  won  the  love  of  every  one  of  our  children.  They 
are  deeply  touched  by  this  experience;  we  have  loved 
no  other  young  man  as  we  loved  him.  That  was  a  time 
of  great  perplexity,  anxiety,  and  temptation  to  him — 
the  temptation  to  a  business  career.  He  talked  it  over 
so  freely  with  us,  and  I  felt  then  that  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  things  God  had  ever  given  me  to  do  was 
that  chance  to  help  Henry.  How  wonderfully  he  was 
led  out  of  that  hard  place ! " 

He  wrote  soon  after :  "  I  think  God  will  not  let  me 
make  a  mistake."  These  are  his  exact  words :  "  I  am 
willing  now,  as  I  have  not  been  before,  to  follow  wher- 
ever God  seems  to  lead  the  way  for  me,  and  I  don't  be- 
lieve He  will  let  me  make  a  failure  of  life."  (July  2, 
1904.) 

Thank  God  for  such  friends  as  ours,  and  for  such 
letters.  Ask  Him  that  we  may  give  nobler  service  for- 
ever for  all  His  mercies  at  Kuling. 

God  bless  you  all  and  comfort  you  all  as  you  have 
comforted  us. 

MRS.  ARTHUR  H.  SMITH. 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   169 

LETTER  FROM  PROF.  R.  W.  RAYMOND 

BROOKLYN,  N.  Y.,  January  14,  1907. 

During  the  recent  visit  of  Dr.  Arthur  Smith  to  the 
United  States,  it  was  our  privilege  to  entertain  him 
repeatedly,  for  considerable  periods,  as  a  guest  in  our 
Brooklyn  home,  where  he  became  an  admired  and  be- 
loved member  of  our  family  circle.  And  we  love  to  re- 
member that  in  our  house  he  enjoyed,  after  years  of 
separation,  his  first  reunion  with  his  dear  and  only  son. 

We  prepared  for  their  accommodation  separate 
guest  chambers ;  but  they  begged  the  privilege  of  room- 
ing together;  and  often,  in  passing  the  door  of  their 
room,  I  heard  the  low  tones  of  reading,  conversation, 
or  prayer.  That  room,  already  made  sacred  to  us  by 
reason  of  many  memories  of  love,  joy,  sorrow,  and 
death,  is  now  also,  and  forever,  associated  in  our  minds 
with  a  grateful  recollection  of  the  close  and  precious 
intercourse  between  such  a  father  and  such  a  son,  under 
circumstances  so  far  transcending  the  ordinary  expe- 
riences of  human  relationship. 

As  you  know,  the  son  was  just  deciding,  or  had  but 
recently  decided,  to  devote  himself  to  the  work  in  which 
his  father  and  mother  were  engaged.  He  made  this 
decision,  under  the  guidance  of  the  Divine  Spirit,  with- 
out the  least  pressure  from  his  missionary  parents. 

A  venerable  clergyman  once  said  to  me,  "  I  have  been 
consulted  by  many  young  men  who  were  thinking  of 
entering  upon  the  Christian  ministry ;  and  I  have  never 
let  one  of  them  go  in,  if  I  could  possibly  keep  him  out ! 
For  I  hold  that,  if  a  man  be  not  so  called  of  God  as  to 


170  HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

disregard  human  dissuasion,  he  is  not  called  of  God  at 
all!" 

Without  going  to  this  extreme,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Smith, 
as  I  personally  know,  had  conscientiously  left  their  be- 
loved son  to  higher  guidance,  and  held  themselves  ready 
to  accept  his  choice  of  any  profession  in  which  a  Chris- 
tian man  could  usefully  and  honorably  serve  his  genera- 
tion. All  the  deeper,  therefore,  was  their  joy  in  his 
final,  free  decision ;  and  I  cannot  but  feel  that  the  hours 
of  new  and  exalted  fellowship  spent  by  Dr.  Smith  in  my 
house  with  his  son,  who  had  thus  become  also  his 
brother  and  comrade,  prepared  them  both  for  an  in- 
separable companionship,  whether  in  the  visible  or  in 
the  invisible  world. 

After  such  a  mutual  consecration  to  the  service  of 
the  Kingdom  which  embraces  both  worlds,  the  accident 
of  death  can  be  no  more  than  any  other  accident  of 
physical  separation.  These  two  enjoyed  a  reunion  and 
a  new  union,  which  defied  the  trivial  obstacles  presented 
by  oceans  and  continents.  Why  should  it  not  now  defy 
an  outward  separation,  possibly  even  less  worthy  to  be 
considered  between  souls  thus  fused  into  the  Life  Eter- 
nal which  now  is,  as  well  as  shall  be? 

It  is  for  this  reason  that  we  congratulate  our  dear 
friend  Arthur  Smith  upon  the  precious  intercourse 
which  he  was  permitted  to  enjoy  with  a  son  so  soon  to 
enter,  by  a  hero's  death,  into  the  beckoning  glory  of 
the  world  invisible,  while  we  thank  God  for  the  privilege 
granted  to  us,  of  providing  an  upper  room  for  such  a 
meeting. 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   171 

LETTER  FROM  PRESIDENT  W.  N.  FERRIN  OF 

PACIFIC  UNIVERSITY,  FOREST  GROVE, 

OREGON 

My  acquaintance  with  Henry  D.  Smith  began  with 
his  engagement  as  instructor  of  Public  Speaking  in 
Pacific  University.  During  the  two  years  in  which  he 
served  in  that  capacity,  I  came  to  know  him  well,  and 
the  acquaintance  thus  formed  was  maintained  by  occa- 
sional correspondence  during  the  years  following  until 
his  death. 

Mr.  Smith  came  to  Pacific  fresh  from  college.  He 
was  strongly  recommended  for  the  position  which  he 
came  to  fill,  and  his  work  in  it  showed  that  the  endorse- 
ments were  fully  justified. 

He  was  inexperienced  and  impulsive,  and  had  some 
things  to  learn.  I  was  glad  to  advise  him  occasionally, 
as  need  required,  and  found  him  always  ready  to  re- 
ceive suggestions  pleasantly,  and  to  act  upon  them 
promptly  and  cordially.  His  relations  with  his  fellow 
teachers  were  uniformly  pleasant.  His  natural  impul- 
siveness led  to  occasional  mistakes,  but  these  were  of 
the  head  and  not  of  the  heart. 

In  his  dealings  with  students,  both  in  the  class-room 
and  out  of  it,  he  made  himself  rather  a  fellow-worker 
with  them  than  a  master  over  them.  When  he  trained 
students  for  oratorical  and  debating  contests  he  entered 
into  the  work  with  all  the  zest  and  eagerness  that  his 
intense  nature  was  capable  of.  In  preparing  for  the 
contest  he  spared  neither  the  student  nor  himself. 
There  are  traditions  about  the  Campus  that  upon  more 
than  one  occasion  he  kept  the  young  men  at  work  in  the 


172   HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

reference  library  until  the  small  hours  of  the  night, 
when  it  was  necessary  in  order  to  complete,  within  a 
required  time,  the  investigation  of  some  topic  connected 
with  the  question  to  be  debated. 

All  of  Mr.  Smith's  work  as  an  instructor  was  charac- 
terized by  enthusiasm  and  indefatigable  energy. 

He  took  an  active  part  in  the  religious  life  of  the 
college.  As  the  youngest  of  the  instructors,  and  only 
one  year  out  of  college,  he  entered  easily  and  heartily 
into  the  work  of  the  Student  Christian  Association, 
and  was  made  welcome  in  it. 

It  is  doubtful  if  any  instructor  ever  at  Pacific  Uni- 
versity for  so  short  a  time  received  in  so  large  a  measure 
as  he  did  the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  students. 

Only  a  few  days  before  his  death  I  received  a  long 
letter  describing  somewhat  in  detail  the  work  which  he 
was  doing  in  advertising  his  beloved  Alma  Mater  to  the 
young  people  of  the  adjoining  region,  and  giving  me 
the  benefits  of  his  experience  in  the  work.  I  had  written 
a  letter  in  acknowledgment  when  the  press  dispatches 
brought  the  news  of  his  tragic  death. 

The  gallant  act  which  cost  him  his  life  in  the  effort 
to  save  the  life  of  another  was  characterized  by  the 
same  generous,  impulsive  thoughtfulness  for  others 
which  marked  all  that  he  did,  and  showed  him  in  high- 
est degree  to  be  a  true  Christian  gentleman. 


THE  ESTIMATE  OF  FRIENDSHIP 

LUCIUS   C.   PORTER 

Henry  was  always  ambitious,  he  was  always  develop- 
ing every  power  he  possessed.  He  wanted  to  become  his 
most  effective  self.  But  the  controlling  ambition  for 
self -development  was  not  selfish;  it  was  guided  at  all 
times  by  the  altruism  of  service.  Effective  service — for 
his  class,  for  his  college,  for  China — was  his  conscious 
purpose  in  every  plan  and  effort  for  advance  in  per- 
sonal power.  We  often  talked  together  of  these  things : 
of  a  man's  duty  to  himself  and  of  the  claims  of  service. 
This  was  our  conclusion:  The  most  completely  and 
successfully  developed  man  is  the  most  useful. 

From  his  Sophomore  year,  the  question  was  settled 
for  Henry.  The  intense  application  to  every  task  that 
called  for  larger  effort,  the  eager  struggle  for  victory 
in  each  contest,  were  expressions  of  this  loyalty  to 
service. 

This  incident,  not  known  to  many,  illustrates  his 
point  of  view.  In  the  Sophomore  year  he  entered  the 
preliminary  contests  for  the  Knox  debate.  Other  con- 
testants were  upper-class  men.  He  was  still  a  Sopho- 
more. But  in  the  preliminary  contest  in  the  Society  he 
was  chosen  as  the  third  man  of  the  three  to  enter  the 
final  contest,  winning  over  a  Junior  who  was  regarded 
as  a  strong  speaker.  Henry  had  made  a  fine  record. 
But  at  this  point  he  felt  that  the  best  service  for  the 

173 


174  HfeNRY   DICKINSON    SMITH 

College  would  be  from  the  older  speaker.  He  had  won 
the  place,  but  he  voluntarily  resigned  in  favor  of  the 
other  man.  He  felt  that  his  own  service  would  be 
stronger  the  next  year.  The  other  man  took  the  posi- 
tion, and  those  three  Cliosophic  men  were  the  three 
chosen  to  meet  Knox.  They  lost  that  year's  debate. 
Henry  had  done  what  he  felt  was  best  for  the  College, 
he  had  shown  how  fully  he  made  the  best  service  his 
ideal. 

Henry's  eagerness  for  victory  was  a  part  of  his  ideal 
of  complete  service.  He  could  never  feel  satisfied  with 
honest  effort  alone,  because  he  could  not  feel  that  he 
had  done  his  best  unless  that  best  was  better  than  his 
opponents.  It  was  this  that  brought  the  dismal 
reaction  in  cases  of  defeat.  Others  may  not  agree 
with  this  ideal  of  victorious  achievement  of  the  ac- 
claimed victor.  But  they  must  understand  that  it  was 
a  part,  not  of  selfishness,  but  of  his  service.  He  and  I 
have  many  times  discussed  the  question  of  the  relations 
of  struggle  and  contest  to  the  proclaimed  victory.  Fre- 
quently it  was  after  some  experience  of  defeat.  We 
did  not  agree.  But  I  always  admired  Henry's  belief: 
"  The  team,"  he  would  say,  "  is  sent  in  to  defeat  the 
enemy.  If  it  does  not  win,  it  has  not  accomplished  its 
great  purpose,  it  has  not  performed  its  best  service." 

Conscientious  effort,  a  strong  fight  against  odds, 
he  could  not  view  as  any  excuse  for  failure  to  win; 
even  the  evident  superiority  of  the  opposition  did  not 
modify  his  conviction  that  the  defeated  team  had  not 
fulfilled  its  purpose,  had  not  come  up  to  the  full  meas- 
ure of  its  service. 


HENRY   DICKINSON    SMITH   175 

The  Henry  of  intense  application,  of  furious  work, 
of  highest  lambition,  was  such  because  he  wanted  to  be 
the  Henry  of  completest  service.    "  Ich  dien  "  was  the ' 
motto  blazoned  on  his  banner.     He  fulfilled  it  to  the 
unmost  measure. 


POSTCRIPT 

My  Darling  Boy,  so  early  snatched  away 
From  arms  still  seeking  thee  in  empty  air, 

That  thou  shouldst  come  to  me  I  do  not  pray, 
Lest  by  thy  coming  Heaven  should  be  less  fair. 


Stay,  rather,  in  perennial  flower  of  youth, 
Such  as  the  Master,  looking  on,  must  love, 

And  send  to  me  the  spirit  of  the  truth, 
To  teach  me  of  the  wisdom  from  above. 


Beckon  to  guide  my  thoughts,  as  stumblingly 
They  seek  the  kingdom  of  the  undented, 

And  meet  me  at  its  gateway  with  the  key — 
The  unstained  spirit  of  a  little  child. 

F.  G.  PEABODY. 


MRS.  EDWIN  LONDON 

SEATTLE,  WASH 


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